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"Section 22-5-910. Following a first offense conviction in a magistrate's court or a municipal court, the defendant after one year from the date of the conviction may apply, or cause someone acting on his behalf to apply, to the circuit court for an order expunging the records of the arrest and conviction. However, this section does not apply to an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle, or to a violation of Title 50 or the regulations promulgated thereunder under it for which points are assessed, suspension provided for, or enhanced penalties for subsequent offenses authorized, or to an offense contained in Chapter 25 of Title 16. If the defendant has had no other conviction during the one-year period following the first offense conviction in a magistrate's court or a municipal court, the circuit court shall issue an order expunging the records. No person may have his records expunged under this section more than one time once.

After the expungement, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is required to keep a nonpublic record of the offense and the date of the expungement to ensure that no person takes advantage of the rights of this section more than once. This nonpublic record is not subject to release under Section 34-11-95, the Freedom of Information Act, or any other provision of law except to those authorized law or court officials who need to know this information in order to prevent the rights afforded by this section from being taken advantage of more than once.

As used in this section, `conviction' includes a guilty plea, a plea of nolo contendere, or the forfeiting of bail."

SECTION 23. Section 24-3-20 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993 and Act 500 of 1994, is further amended to read:

"Section 24-3-20. (a)(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 24-3-10, any A person convicted of an offense against the State of South Carolina and committed to the State Penitentiary at Columbia shall a state correctional facility must be in the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections of the State of South Carolina, and the director shall designate the place of confinement where the sentence shall must be served. Nothing in this section prevents a court from ordering a sentence to run concurrently with a sentence being served in another state or an active federal sentence. The director may designate as a place of confinement any available, suitable, and appropriate institution or facility, including a county jail or prison camp, whether maintained by the State department of Corrections or otherwise. Provided, that if If the facility

(b)(B) When the director determines that the character and attitude of a prisoner reasonably indicates that he may be so trusted, it he may extend the limits of the place of confinement of the prisoner by authorizing him to work at paid employment or participate in a training program in the community on a voluntary basis while continuing as a prisoner, provided that the director determines that:

(1) such the paid employment will not result in the displacement of employed workers, nor be applied in skills, crafts, or trades in which there is surplus of available gainful labor in the locality, nor impair existing contracts for services; and

(2) the rates of pay and other conditions of employment will not be less than those paid and provided for work of similar nature in the locality in which the work is to be performed.

The department shall notify victims registered pursuant to Section 16-3-1530(c) and the trial judge, solicitor, and sheriff of the county or the law enforcement agency of the jurisdiction where the offense occurred before releasing inmates on work release. The department shall have the authority to deny release based upon opinions received from these persons, if any, as to the suitability of the release.

No prisoner's place of confinement may be extended as permitted by this subsection who is currently serving a sentence for or has a prior conviction of criminal sexual conduct in the first, second, or third degree,; attempted criminal sexual conduct,; assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct,; criminal sexual conduct when the victim is his legal spouse,; criminal sexual conduct with a minor,; committing or committing or attempting a lewd act on a child,; engaging a child for sexual performance,; or spousal sexual battery. No prisoner who is serving a sentence for a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100 and who is otherwise eligible for work release shall have his place of confinement extended until he has served the minimum period of incarceration as set forth in Section 24-13-125.

(c)(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 24-3-10 or any other provisions provision of law, the department shall make available for use in litter control and removal any or all prison inmates not engaged in programs determined by the department to be more beneficial in terms of rehabilitation and cost effectiveness. Provided, however, that the Department of Corrections The department shall not make available for litter control those inmates who, in the judgment of the director, pose a significant threat to the community or who are not physically, mentally,

(d)(D) Notwithstanding Section 24-13-125, The the Department of Corrections department may establish a restitution program for the purpose of allowing persons convicted of nonviolent offenses who are sentenced to the State Department of Corrections department to reimburse the victim for the value of the property stolen or damages caused by such the offense. In the event that there is If no victim is involved, the person convicted shall contribute to the administration of the program. The Department of Corrections department is authorized to promulgate regulations necessary to administer the program.

(e)(E) In the event that If a person is sentenced to not more than seven years and for not more than a second offense for the following offenses: larceny, grand larceny, forgery and counterfeiting, embezzlement, stolen property, damage to property, receiving stolen goods, shoplifting, housebreaking, fraud, vandalism, breach of trust with fraudulent intent, and storebreaking, the judge shall establish at the time of sentencing a maximum amount of property loss which may be used by the South Carolina Department of Corrections department in the administration of the restitution program."

SECTION 24. Section 24-3-410(B)(1) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 19 of 1991, is further amended to read:

"(1) articles manufactured or produced by persons on parole, or probation, or community supervision;"

SECTION 25. Section 24-3-530 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Section 420, Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 24-3-530. (A) All persons A person convicted of a capital crime and having imposed upon them him the sentence of death shall suffer such the penalty by electrocution or, at the election of the person,

(B) If execution by lethal injection under this section is held to be unconstitutional by an appellate court of competent jurisdiction, then the manner of inflicting a death sentence must be by electrocution."

SECTION 26. Section 24-13-210 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Section 437, Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 24-13-210. (a)(A) Each A prisoner convicted of an offense against this State, except a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100, and sentenced to the custody of the Department of Corrections including those prisoners a prisoner serving time in a local facility pursuant to a designated facilities facility agreement authorized by Section 24-3-30, whose record of conduct shows that he has faithfully observed all the rules of the institution wherein where he is confined and has not been subjected to punishment for misbehavior, is entitled to a deduction from the term of his sentence beginning with the day on which the service of his sentence commences to run, computed at the rate of twenty days for each month served. When two or more consecutive sentences are to be served, the aggregate of the several sentences is the basis upon which the good behavior conduct credit shall be is computed.
(B) A prisoner convicted of a `no parole offense' against this State as defined in Section 24-13-100 and sentenced to the custody of the Department of Corrections, including a prisoner serving time in a local facility pursuant to a designated facility agreement authorized by Section 24-3-30, whose record of conduct shows that he has faithfully observed all the rules of the institution where he is confined and has not been subjected to punishment for misbehavior, is entitled to a deduction from the term of his sentence beginning with the day on which the service of his sentence commences to run, computed at the rate of three days for each month served. However, no prisoner serving a sentence for life imprisonment or a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for thirty years pursuant to Section 16-3-20 is entitled to credits under this provision. No prisoner convicted of a `no parole offense' is entitled to a reduction below the minimum term of incarceration provided in Section 24-13-125 or 24-13-150. When two or more consecutive sentences are to be served, the aggregate of the several sentences is the basis upon which the good conduct credit is computed.

(c)(D) If, during the term of imprisonment, a prisoner confined in a facility of the department commits any an offense or violates any one of the rules of the institution during his term of imprisonment, all or any part of his the good conduct time credit he has earned may be forfeited at in the discretion of the Director of the Department of Corrections, if the. If a prisoner be confined in facilities of the department, or a local correctional facility pursuant to a designated facility agreement commits an offense or violates one of the rules of the institution during his term of imprisonment, all or part of the good conduct credit he has earned may be forfeited in the discretion of the local official having charge of prisoners sentenced to terms of imprisonment at the local level the prisoner. The decision to withhold forfeited good conduct time is solely the responsibility of officials named in this subsection.

(d)(E) Any person who has served the term of imprisonment for which he has been sentenced less deductions allowed therefrom for good conduct, is considered upon release to have served the entire term for which he was sentenced unless the person is required to complete a community supervision program pursuant to Section 24-21-560. If the person is required to complete a community supervision program, he must complete his sentence as provided in Section 24-21-560 prior to discharge from the criminal justice system.
(F) No credits earned pursuant to this section may be applied in a manner which would prevent full participation in the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services' prerelease or community supervision program as provided in Section 24-21-560."

SECTION 27. Section 24-13-220 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-13-220. The provisions of Section 24-13-210 shall also apply to persons whose sentences have has been commuted, and in computing the time to be credited on the sentence as commuted the basis

SECTION 28. Section 24-13-230 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 24-13-230. (a) (A) The Director of the Department of Corrections may allow any prisoner in the custody of the department, except a prisoner convicted of a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100, who is assigned to a productive duty assignment or who is regularly enrolled and actively participating in an academic, technical, or vocational training program, a reduction from the term of his sentence of zero to one day for every two days he is employed or enrolled. However, no inmate serving the sentence of life imprisonment is entitled to credits under this provision. A maximum annual credit for both work credit and class education credit is limited to one hundred eighty days. The amount of credit to be earned for each duty classification or enrollment must be determined by the director and published by him in a conspicuous place available to inmates at each correctional institution. No credits earned under this section may be applied in a manner which would prevent full participation in the department's prerelease program.
(B) The Director of the Department of Corrections may allow a prisoner in the custody of the department serving a sentence for a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100, who is assigned to a productive duty assignment or who is regularly enrolled and actively participating in an academic, technical, or vocational training program, a reduction from the term of his sentence of six days for every month he is employed or enrolled. However, no prisoner serving a sentence for life imprisonment or a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for thirty years pursuant to Section 16-3-20 is entitled to credits under this provision. No prisoner convicted of a `no parole offense' is entitled to a reduction below the minimum term of incarceration provided in Section 24-13-125 or 24-13-150. A maximum annual credit for both work credit and education credit is limited to seventy-two days.

(C) No credits earned pursuant to this section may be applied in a manner which would prevent full participation in the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services' prerelease or community supervision program as provided in Section 24-21-560.

(c) (F)(1) An individual is only eligible for the educational credits provided for in this section, upon successful participation in an academic, technical, or vocational training program.

(2) The educational credit provided for in this section, is not available to any individual convicted of a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60.

(d)(G) The South Carolina Department of Corrections may not pay any tuition for college courses."

SECTION 29. Section 24-13-610 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-13-610. The Department of Corrections (department) may establish an extended work release program. The program may allow the exceptional regular work release resident, male or female, convicted of a first and not more than a second offense, the opportunity of extended work release placement in the community with the privilege of residing with an approved community sponsor and continuing employment in the community; provided, that no person convicted of murder, or criminal sexual conduct in the first or second degree, a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100 which was committed on or after the effective date of this section, or any other offense which is prohibited by another provision of law may participate in this extended work release program."

"Section 24-13-650. No offender committed to incarceration under for a violent offense as defined in Section 16-1-60 or a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100 may be released back into the community in which the offender committed the offense under the work release program, except in those cases wherein, where applicable, the victim of the crime for which the offender is charged or the relatives of the victim who have applied for notification under Section 16-3-1530 if the victim has died, the law enforcement agency which employed the arresting officer at the time of the arrest, and the circuit solicitor all agree to recommend that the offender be allowed to participate in the work release program in the community where the offense was committed. The victim or the victim's nearest living relative, the law enforcement agency, and the solicitor, as referenced above, must affirm in writing that the offender be allowed to return to the community in which the offense was committed to participate in the work release program."

SECTION 31. Section 24-13-710 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-13-710. The Department of Corrections and the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services shall jointly develop the policies, procedures, guidelines, and cooperative agreement for the implementation of a supervised furlough program which permits carefully screened and selected inmates who have served the mandatory minimum sentence as required by law or have not committed a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60, a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100, nor committed the crime of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree as defined in Section 16-3- 654, or the crime of committing or attempting a lewd act upon a child under the age of fourteen as defined in Section 16-15-140 to be released on furlough prior to parole eligibility and under the supervision of state probation and parole agents with the privilege of residing in an approved residence and continuing treatment, training, or employment in the community until parole eligibility or expiration of sentence, whichever is earlier. The department and the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services shall assess a fee sufficient to cover the cost of the participant's supervision and any other financial obligations incurred because of his participation in the supervised furlough program as provided by this article. The two departments shall jointly develop and approve written guidelines for the program to include, but not be limited to, the selection criteria and process, requirements for supervision, conditions for participation, and removal. The cooperative

(1) maintain a clear disciplinary record for at least six months prior to consideration for placement on the program;

(2) demonstrate to Department of Corrections' officials a general desire to become a law-abiding member of society;

(3) satisfy any other reasonable requirements imposed upon him by the Department of Corrections;

(4) have an identifiable need for and willingness to participate in authorized community-based programs and rehabilitative services;

(5) have been committed to the State Department of Corrections with a total sentence of five years or less as the first or second adult commitment for a criminal offense for which the inmate received a sentence of one year or more. The Department of Corrections shall notify victims pursuant to Section 16-3- 1530(c) as well as the sheriff's office of the place to be released before releasing inmates through any supervised furlough program.

These requirements do not apply to the crimes referred to in this section."

SECTION 32. Section 24-13-720 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-13-720. Unless sentenced to life imprisonment, an inmate under the jurisdiction or control of the Department of Corrections who has not been convicted of a violent crime under the provisions of Section 16-1-60 or a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100 may, within six months of the expiration of his sentence, be placed with the program provided for in Section 24-13-710 and is subject to every rule, regulation, and condition of the program. No inmate otherwise eligible under the provisions of this section for placement with the program may be so placed unless he has qualified under the selection criteria and process authorized by the provisions of Section 24-13- 710. He must also have

SECTION 33. Section 24-13-1310 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-13-1310. As used in this article:

(1) `Eligible inmate' means a person committed to the South Carolina Department of Corrections:

(a) who has not reached the age of thirty years at the time of admission to the department;

(b) who is eligible for release on parole in two years or less;

(c) who has not been convicted of a violent crime as defined in Section 16- 1-60 or a `no parole offense' as defined in Section 24-13-100;

(d) who has not been incarcerated previously in a state correctional facility or has not served a sentence previously in a shock incarceration program;

(e) who physically is able to participate in the program;
(f) whose sentence specifically does not prohibit the offender from participating in the shock incarceration program.

(2) `Shock incarceration program' means a program pursuant to which eligible inmates are selected directly at reception centers ordered by the court to participate in the program and serve ninety days in an incarceration facility, which provides rigorous physical activity, intensive regimentation, and discipline and rehabilitation therapy and programming.

(3) `Director' means the Director of the Department of Corrections."

SECTION 34. Section 24-13-1320 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-13-1320. (A) The director of the department, guided by consideration for the safety of the community and the welfare of the inmate, shall promulgate regulations, according to procedures set forth in the Administrative Procedures Act, for the shock incarceration program. The regulations must reflect the purpose of the program and include, but are not limited to, selection criteria, inmate discipline, programming and supervision, and program structure and administration.
(B) For each reception center the director shall appoint or cause to be appointed a shock incarceration selection committee which must include at least one representative of the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services and which shall meet on a regularly scheduled basis to review all applications for a program.
(C) (B) A program may be established only at an institution classified by the director as a shock incarceration facility.

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This web page was last updated on Monday, June 29, 2009 at 2:11 P.M.