The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted Amendment 63-78 to Senate Bill 5-33 and then voted 6-2 to place the amended bill on the calendar. The amendment directs that when a prisoner on work release is required to wear an electronic-monitoring device, the costs may be deducted from the prisoner's wages and the employer will remit payment to the county or state; if the prisoner is unpaid, the entity using the prisoner must pay the monitoring cost.

Sponsor Senator Stevens said the amendment was requested by a local sheriff to address difficulty in getting employers to participate in work-release programs. “It attempts to resolve an issue that my sheriff in my district is having with trying to get employers to participate in their work release program,” Stevens said, and described the amendment’s mechanics for wage deduction and employer payment.

Nut graf: Committee members questioned how deductions would affect low inmate wages and whether the change would allow monitoring vendors to profit from county contracts. Stevens said county contracts vary and that the sponsor could follow up with counties for details.

During committee questions, members raised concerns about whether deductions would amount to garnishment, how much prisoners earn through work programs, and whether monitoring companies stand to profit. The sponsor said the arrangement is part of the voluntary work-release agreement and that employers pay the county or state directly under the amendment.

Ending: After discussion the committee approved the amendment, then approved the bill for placement on the calendar by a 6-2 vote; the amendment and bill now await calendar scheduling.