Rep. Leo Felix

Establishes Rhode Island First Step program requiring DOC to assist offenders with reintegration into society, counseling, medical care, education, early sentence termination or pre-release confinement for elderly and terminally ill offenders.

Establishes the restrictive housing oversight committee ("committee") for the purpose of monitoring the use of restrictive housing ("solitary confinement"), as well as disciplinary and administrative confinement at the department of corrections.

Repeals 42-56-38.1 and requires the department of corrections to provide free communication services to inmates and juveniles held in residential placement or detention centers and requires that those facilities provide in-person contact visits.

Allows eligible individuals serving sentences of imprisonment to seek sentence reductions from the superior court, individuals serving life without parole or minimum mandatory sentences pursuant to law, would not be eligible for such relief.

Provides for warming center and cooling center alerts to trigger certain procedures municipalities shall follow during extreme heat or cold to help at-risk individuals with resources including, but not limited to, warming and cooling centers.

Enables the Rhode Island public transit authority (RIPTA) to work with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) to allow commuter rail passes to be used as dual passes for both RIPTA and MBTA.

Requires the court to set reasonable bail for all those individuals who appear before it as probation violators and establish a presumption of personal recognizance unless the new alleged offense is a crime of violence as defined in the act.

Mandates that the clerk of the district court, upon request of the defendant, automatically seal individual counts of criminal complaints upon dismissal pursuant to rule 48(a) of the rules of criminal procedure for district court.

Prohibits the courts from setting cash or surety bail on any misdemeanor offense but permits the court to set reasonable non-monetary conditions of bail to assure the defendant's presence in court as required and to protect the community.

Maddy summaryHB 5502 clarifies the legal definitions of criminal offense categories in the state's laws. It specifies that a felony involves imprisonment over one year or a fine over $1,000, a misdemeanor involves 6 months to 1 year imprisonment or a fine up to $1,000, a petty misdemeanor involves up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine up to $500, and a violation is punishable only by a fine under $500. The bill also explicitly states that any reference to "one year" in sentencing laws means 364 days, not 365. This definition change directly affects courts, prosecutors, and defendants when classifying criminal charges and determining penalties. The bill is currently pending further study after a committee hearing.