I am Scott E. Peyton, Director of Government Affairs at Prison Fellowship, and I am writing to express Prison Fellowship’s support of HB 16 and HB 17. Prison Fellowship believes these measures promote accountability, public safety, and successful reentry, while upholding human dignity and using taxpayer resources wisely. We respectfully ask the committee to vote in favor of HB16 and HB17.

We need better public defenders that don’t not mind fighting for client then getting them take a plea deal young men that’s first time offenders getting sent to prison for years and there fines be so high when they out it be hard to get a job pay high fines and get on they feet they need programs to bring love ones homes to have a second chance program some of this young men went in at a young age and changed there life around and are amazing citizen but will never get a chance to show there improvement and why was parole taken away and why isn’t house arrest a opition for inmates to come home when they can be monitored by a system then sit behind bars when most times they have lack of staff to operate prison and staff are over worked we need a change

Something’s should have been looked into before and changed way before now.

It is already difficult when being incarcerated but to be released and everything you own is gone how do you live again . Court cost and fines are usually very high and the interest that builds on top of it makes it difficult to start all over for the most part just finding employment not having an address or vehicle is already a hinderence depending on the charges . If incarcerated any interest should be stopped because they will not allow work release if your not sentenced work release should be available to all and should be able to work to pay any fines or cost . If it retains to child support they should be forced to work release and made work until paid