A Senate committee on March 12 killed legislation that sought to revoke prisoners’ earned time credits when they commit new, violent crimes while behind bars.

The bill had previously passed the House with large bipartisan support. But Democrats on the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted down the bill, with some arguing that the legislation was over-broad and might discourage good behavior on the part of inmates.

Right now, the Department of Corrections is unable to strip away early release credits that prisoners earn for good behavior or for taking part in treatment programs behind bars, regardless of whether inmates commit violent crimes while incarcerated.

The bill — which was sponsored by Republican House members Frank McNulty of Highlands Ranch, Mark Waller of Colorado Springs and Republican Sen. Bernie Herpin, also of Colorado Springs — was crafted in response to last year’s murder of former DOC chief Tom Clements, who was shot to death at his Monument home. The man suspected of killing Clements, Even Ebel, had received early release credit, even though he had committed violent crimes behind bars.