By C1 Staff
LINCOLN — Two bills aimed at reducing Nebraska’s chronic prison overcrowding through emphasis on lower-cost alternatives to incarceration won first-round approval Tuesday.
The Omaha reports that the first bill advanced after sponsors agreed to work with prosecutors on amending the measure. The second measure, aimed at reducing the use of solitary confinement and improving treatment for mentally ill inmates, passed unanimously.
Nebraska prisons are currently at 159 percent of their design capacity. ACLU of Nebraska is threatening to sue if something isn’t done to alleviate conditions.
The main bill, LB 605, is designed to reduce overcrowding to 140 percent of capacity within five years, which will not only prevent potential suits but also avoid $300 million in new prison construction.
The aspects of the bill that were criticized include doing away with mandatory minimum sentencing for some criminals and hastening the parole eligibility of others.
Last year, the prison system was reprimanded for miscalculating hundreds of release dates for inmates.
A third prison reform measure, LB 173, wasn’t voted upon Tuesday.