District attorneys could gain access to the disciplinary files of state inmates accused of violent crimes who are up for a parole after a bill from a Savannah representative cleared the Georgia House floor last week.
The bill, HB168, passed 99-66 on Feb. 18 and was read and referred to the Senate’s public safety committee. Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook-Jones has raised concerns about the bill and describes it as “problematic.”
“It enlarges prosecutorial power unnecessarily and creates too much potential for abuse and discriminatory application,” Cook-Jones said in an emailed statement to the Savannah Morning News.
Lead sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jesse Patrea (R-Savannah), said it is intended to allow district attorneys to see the file of an inmate who is up for parole and offer any objections. The bill stems from the case of Torrey Scott, a serial rapist who murdered one of his victims after being released from prison on early parole.