(a)  As a part of or in lieu of the sentences otherwise provided by law, the court may unless specifically restricted or authorized by law sentence any person who has been adjudged guilty of any crime after trial before a judge or a judge and jury or before a judge accepting the person’s plea of nolo contendere or guilty to the offense in the following manner:

(1)  By placement of the offender on unsupervised probation with or without special conditions;

(2)  By imposition of a sentence involving placement of the offender in supervised probation with field supervision rather than intensive supervision, with or without special conditions;

(3)  By imposition of a sentence of probation involving placement of the offender in intensive supervision or placement in an alternative confinement program established pursuant to § 12-19-2.2 without the necessity of an application of the director of the department of corrections or placement of the offender in community restitution, with or without special conditions;

(4)  By imposition of a sentence involving placement of the offender in community confinement pursuant to § 42-56-20.2;

(5)  By imposition of a sentence involving placement of the offender in a minimum security facility which houses offenders who are preparing for their reintegration into the community;

(6)  By imposition of a fine as provided by law;

(7)  By imposition of any combination of the intermediate punishments provided in this subsection that justice requires and which the court in its discretion deems appropriate under the circumstances.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 12-19-23.2

  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(b)  The director of corrections shall establish appropriate eligibility criteria and conditions for offenders sentenced to intermediate punishments as identified in subdivisions (a)(2) through (a)(5) of this section and may assign these functions to any subordinate employees and officers that may to him or her seem feasible or desirable.

History of Section.
P.L. 1993, ch. 205, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 435, § 2.