House passes intensive parole pilot after budget and safety debate

House Bill 2, introduced by Representative Arlie Ellerton, would authorize the Department of Corrections to develop an intensive parole/early release program for qualifying nonviolent inmates, paired with electronic surveillance and reduced parole caseloads.

Ellerton told the House the program would target nonviolent offenders (excluding serious violent crimes such as offenses against children referenced in the transcript) and would require monitoring, work and restitution where appropriate. He said the Department of Corrections and the Board of Pardons back the proposal and that intensive parole could be implemented within existing departmental resources if necessary.

Floor debate centered on fiscal implications and public safety. Ellerton and supporters argued the program could save money: Ellerton cited that keeping an inmate costs roughly $19,000 per year and that delaying construction of a proposed phase of the Gunnison prison could save an estimated $35 million in capital costs and $9–13 million annually in operating costs. Critics sought clarity on a reported fiscal note (discussed as a million‑dollar figure in floor questions) and whether the department could manage the program without future supplemental appropriations. Ellerton offered an amendment to keep implementation within existing budgets and said he would request a revised fiscal note; the amendment passed.

Representative Harrington raised public‑safety concerns and cited a past incident involving prisoners at a halfway house; the sponsor responded that eligibility excludes violent offenders. Other members pressed about caseload sizes for parole officers and how the department would phase participation if full funding were not available.

Following amendment and floor discussion, the House passed House Bill 2 on third reading, recorded as 61‑10. The bill will move to the Senate for committee consideration.