By Chris Taylor
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee House voted to increase the mandatory amount of time served by people convicted of armed robbery. The bill makes the minimum time served for the offense go from 30 percent to 74% of their sentence. Legislators passed the bill yesterday in an 88-4 vote. The Clarksville Leaf Chronicle reports House Minority Leader Gary Odom sponsored the bill and says the bill is smart on crime and will insure existing jail cells will be used to house dangerous criminals. The bill also proposes to pay for the longer prison times by transferring sentences for many first-time non-violent convictions to community corrections programs.