We strongly supported legislation which would have made two important advances towards enhanced criminal justice policy in Rhode Island. Presently, any crime that carries more than a $1,000 penalty, even if it provides for no prison time, is classified as a felony. This bill would have changed any such crimes to misdemeanors, ensuring that convicted individuals do not inappropriately carry the stigma that a felony conviction can.
Second, this bill would have required preparation of a prison impact statement for any legislation which would create a new crime, putting Rhode Island in line with many other states with similar policies and ensuring clarity as to the fiscal impact of overcriminalization. A companion bill introduced in the Senate, S 541, would additionally require such prison impact statements. While S 541 passed the Senate, it died in the House. H 5312 died in committee in the House.
