H 4255 General Bill, By Sharpe
 A Bill to provide for a work-continuation procedure for criminal offenders
 committed to incarceration in this State, prohibit the participation of
 offenders committed to incarceration under Section 16-1-60, Code of Laws of
 South Carolina, 1976 (Violent Crimes), provide for the times when the
 work-continuation procedure shall be allowed to operate, and require the
 promulgation of regulations by the Department of Corrections.

   01/22/92  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-11
   01/22/92  House  Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-12

A BILL

TO PROVIDE FOR A WORK-CONTINUATION PROCEDURE FOR CERTAIN CRIMINAL OFFENDERS COMMITTED TO INCARCERATION IN THIS STATE, PROHIBIT THE PARTICIPATION OF OFFENDERS COMMITTED TO INCARCERATION UNDER SECTION 16-1-60, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976 (VIOLENT CRIMES), PROVIDE FOR THE TIMES WHEN THE WORK-CONTINUATION PROCEDURE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE, AND REQUIRE THE PROMULGATION OF REGULATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. (A) A criminal offender committed to incarceration in this State must be permitted by prison or jail officials to continue working in any job or occupation in which he was employed at the time of or immediately prior to his conviction or plea of guilty to the offense, so long as his employer agrees to the continuation of the employment during the term of incarceration. Under this procedure prison or jail officials shall transport the incarcerated offender to his place of employment on each day he is scheduled to work and shall transport him back to the prison or jail where he is incarcerated at the end of each work day. A prison or jail official shall pick up the incarcerated offender's paycheck on each payday and shall deduct and withhold from it an amount covering the prisoner's room and board at the prison or jail where he is incarcerated. The amount so deducted and withheld must be used specifically for prison or jail operations and for no other purpose. The balance of the incarcerated offender's paycheck must be turned over to the prisoner's family for their support.

(B) No offender committed to incarceration under Section 16-1-60 of the 1976 Code shall be allowed to participate in the work-continuation procedure provided for under subsection (A).

(C) The work-continuation procedure in subsection (A) shall be allowed to operate only from seven o'clock A.M. until six o'clock P.M. Monday through Friday and at no other times.

(D) The South Carolina Department of Corrections shall promulgate regulations for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.