The Deputy Brad Johnson Act, otherwise known as Senate Bill 1, is set to be considered Wednesday by the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, would serve to toughen requirements for prison inmates to earn “good time credits” that allow them to attain an early release from prison. It will require that inmates prove that they can conduct themselves correctly for a set amount of months before they are allowed to collect good time.
It will also eliminate the possibility of earning good time in the case of serious offenses. The current system allows inmates to begin collecting good time as soon as their sentence begins.
Alabama law allows inmates to have as many as 75 days removed from their sentence for every 30 days served. This means that prisoners serve less than a third of their sentence.
Senate Bill 1 is named after Bibb County Deputy Brad Johnson, who was fatally shot last year, pursuing a felon who had been granted early release for “good behavior.” The felon had a prison record with multiple incidents of violence and attempted escapes. Deputy Chris Poole was shot in the head in the incident but survived.
The Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, where the bill will be considered, will be in room 325 at the Alabama State House. It begins at 8:30 a.m.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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