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H 8055Violent Crime Penalties

Criminal Offenses - Assaults

This bill increases the prison sentence for assault with intent to murder and removes options for probation or suspended sentences.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation separates "assault with intent to commit murder" from other types of assault with intent to commit felonies (like robbery or burglary). It establishes specific, stricter penalties for those convicted of assaulting someone with the intent to murder them. Under this bill, the penalty is a prison term of 10 to 40 years. Furthermore, the bill prohibits the court from suspending the sentence, deferring the sentence, or granting probation for the sentence imposed, ensuring the convicted individual serves the assigned prison time.

For younger readers

This law changes the punishment for people who attack someone else on purpose to try to end their life. Right now, this crime is treated similarly to other crimes like robbery. This new rule says that if someone tries to kill another person during an attack, they must go to prison for a long time, between 10 and 40 years. It also says that the judge cannot let them stay out of prison on "probation" or let them skip their punishment. It makes sure the punishment is very strict for this specific bad action.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Victims of violent crimeIndividuals convicted of assaultJudges and MagistratesCriminal Defense AttorneysDepartment of Corrections
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Recognizes the severity of attempting to take a human life by separating it from property-related felonies like burglary, potentially offering greater justice to victims of extreme violence.
  • May provide a greater sense of security to communities by ensuring that individuals who have attempted murder are removed from the general population for a significant period.
  • Ensures that the most violent offenders are prioritized for incarceration over non-violent offenders in the criminal justice system.
  • Removes judicial discretion by banning suspended sentences and probation, preventing judges from considering unique mitigating circumstances or rehabilitation potential in individual cases.
  • Contributes to mass incarceration by significantly increasing mandatory prison terms, which disproportionately affects marginalized communities and increases the prison population.
  • Focuses entirely on punitive measures rather than restorative justice or addressing the root causes of violent behavior, potentially leading to higher recidivism rates upon release due to long disconnects from society.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens law and order by imposing strict, mandatory minimum sentences on violent criminals who attempt to commit murder, ensuring they face serious consequences.
  • Eliminates "loopholes" such as suspended sentences and probation, guaranteeing that convicted offenders serve actual prison time rather than being released back into the community.
  • Prioritizes the safety of law-abiding citizens and victims by incapacitating dangerous offenders for a mandatory period of at least ten years.
  • Increases the financial burden on taxpayers by mandating longer incarceration periods, which significantly raises state correctional costs.
  • Removes the ability of local judges, who may know the community and specific case details best, to determine the most appropriate sentencing structure.
  • Could potentially lead to expensive legal appeals regarding sentencing rigidity, further utilizing state resources and court time.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 6 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 11-5-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-5 entitled "Assaults" is hereby amended to read as follows: 11-5-1. Assault with intent to commit specified felonies.

(a) Every person who shall make an assault with intent to commit murder, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, or the abominable and detestable crime against nature, shall be imprisoned not exceeding twenty (20) years nor less than one year.

(b) Every person who shall make an assault with the intent to commit murder shall be imprisoned for not exceeding forty (40) years nor less than ten (10) years and the person shall not be afforded the benefit of suspension or deferment of their sentence, nor of probation for any sentence imposed by the court.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.