A special task force is recommending changes to how Missouri handles people who are on parole or probation.
The recommendations presented Wednesday to an interim House committee include allowing people on probation or parole to have their supervision reduced by 30 days for every 30 days they comply with their requirements. The task force also recommended allowing probation and parole officers to order brief jail stays for those who violate their rules.
Supporters estimate the recommendations could save several million dollars and reduce the prison population by up to 677 inmates after several years. There were 30,777 people in Missouri's prisons through November.
Supreme Court Judge William Ray Price, who served on the task force, told lawmakers that the goal is to reform behavior while also controlling costs.