Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers told crimes-against-children bill could raise prison costs as it closes prosecution gaps
Summary
House Bill 82 would revise laws related to crimes against children; sponsors and criminal-justice officials said clearer definitions could lead to more prosecutions and additional incarcerations, with the Department of Corrections estimating marginal costs for a small number of additional placements.
Representative Cathy Love, sponsor of House Bill 82, told the House Appropriations Committee the bill would revise laws related to crimes against children and that ‘‘the more bad guys we catch the more we're going to have to incarcerate.’’ Love outlined the fiscal consequences she expects if the bill increases felony convictions.
Testimony in support came from law-enforcement and prosecutor organizations and from the Department of Justice. Alex Sturhan, director of external affairs for the Montana Department of Justice, said the department sees the bill as clarifying and modernizing statute to address evolving criminal behavior and that it could be preventative. “Once we get those things, it may have an impact on us, but it's a little bit hard to quantify that right now,” Sturhan said.
Nanette Gilbertson, representing the Montana…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat