ESHB 1119
SignedHouse
Supervision compliance
Concerning supervision compliance credit.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill lets people on community custody supervision earn early release time (10 days per month) if they stay compliant with all supervision rules and show progress toward their rehabilitation goals. The Department of Corrections will set the rules for how compliance is measured, and certain high-risk or high-need individuals are excluded from the program.
- Allows people on community custody supervision to earn 10 days off their supervision term for every month they comply with all supervision conditions.
- Requires the Department of Corrections to create rules defining how compliance is assessed, including progress toward goals like completing treatment or job training.
- States that compliance credits are earned monthly, but only applied *after* they are officially awarded — no retroactive credit.
- Lists specific groups who are not eligible, including people sentenced under certain violent or sex offense laws, those under conditional commutation, or those serving indeterminate sentences with parole.
- Explicitly excludes people released early under RCW 9.94A.730 (early release provisions) from earning this credit.
Who is affected
- People on community custody supervision — People on community custody (a form of post-prison supervision) who meet compliance requirements may earn early release time (10 days per month).
- Washington State Department of Corrections — The agency responsible for managing supervision programs and developing rules for awarding compliance credits.
- People serving sentences for serious sex or violent crimes — People serving certain types of sentences (e.g., for serious sex or violent offenses) who are explicitly excluded from earning this credit.
- People released early under community custody early release provisions — People released early under specific statutes who are not allowed to earn this credit.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (3)
Earned 10-day monthly credits for compliant individuals provide a strong behavioral incentive to complete treatment, job training, and other rehabilitation goals — evidence from other states (e.g., Oregon, Minnesota) shows such programs reduce recidivism by reinforcing pro-social behavior and stability.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(b)Requiring progress toward individualized rehabilitation goals (e.g., treatment completion, employment) aligns supervision with evidence-based corrections practices and may improve long-term outcomes for participants, especially those with substance use or mental health needs.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(a)Reducing corrections costs through earlier releases could free up state funds for reinvestment in community-based services (e.g., substance use treatment, job training), which benefit everyday Washingtonians — particularly low-income and formerly incarcerated individuals — by reducing future incarceration and increasing economic mobility.
FinancialPeopleRef: Fiscal Impact
Potential Concerns (3)
Excluding individuals convicted of serious violent or sex offenses from eligibility may reduce perceived public safety risks, but the exclusion list is based on offense type rather than individualized risk assessment, potentially over-including low-risk individuals and under-including high-risk individuals in other offense categories.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2)(a)-(f)Credits are only applied *after* they are officially awarded, with no retroactivity — this delays the impact of compliance and may reduce incentives for early engagement, especially for those with limited supervision time remaining.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(c)Excluding people released early under RCW 9.94A.730 (a separate early release provision) from earning compliance credits creates a paradox where individuals who already received early release are barred from further earned time, undermining consistency and potentially disincentivizing compliance among those on the margin of eligibility.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2)(f)
Who Is Most Affected
People on community custody who meet compliance thresholds may reduce their supervision time by up to 5 months per year, improving employment, family stability, and reduced barriers to housing and licensing — but those with prior violent or sex offense convictions remain excluded, limiting access for a large subset.
The DOC gains authority to design and implement compliance assessment protocols, increasing operational flexibility and aligning supervision with rehabilitation goals — but must invest in staff training, data systems, and oversight to ensure fair, consistent application.
People convicted of serious violent or sex offenses are categorically excluded, reinforcing public safety expectations — but this may perpetuate stigma and reduce incentives for rehabilitation among those serving long sentences for older convictions.
Those released early under RCW 9.94A.730 are explicitly barred from earning additional time, creating inequity — this group may feel penalized for accepting early release, discouraging participation in other voluntary programs.