FISCAL NOTE TO

SENATE, No. 522

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JULY 22, 1996

      Senate Bill No.522 of 1996 would require that an offender incarcerated for a conviction of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault or aggravated criminal sexual contact, or an attempt to commit any of these crimes, and who was found to be "compulsive and repetitive" be sentenced to an indeterminate term of 30 years. The offender would not be released until he had served 30 years or was paroled pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:47-5. That section provide that, in order to be paroled, the offender must be "capable of making an acceptable social adjustment in the community."

      The Department of Corrections states that it is not possible to determine the impact of this bill on the Department of Corrections. Whether the inmates serve these sentences at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC) or in another institution, the effect would be a longer length of stay, with the need for the creation of additional bed spaces and related increased operating costs.

      The Office of Legislative Services concurs and adds that the cost of housing an inmate in a State institution is about $26,000 per year. If it become necessary to construct additional bed spaces for these inmates, it would cost about $80,000 per new bed.

This fiscal note has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.