This bill amends the Earn Your Way Out Act, P.L.2019, c.364, by excluding inmates with prior convictions for indictable offenses and those currently serving sentences for specific enumerated crimes from eligibility for administrative parole release. The current law allows for administrative parole release for all inmates, except those previously convicted of or serving sentences for crimes listed under the No Early Release Act, the Graves Act, Megan's Law, and the Sexually Violent Predator Act. The proposed changes expand the list of disqualifying offenses to include a range of serious crimes such as vehicular homicide, human trafficking, and various forms of assault, among others.

The bill specifies that an inmate must not have any prior convictions for indictable offenses and must meet additional criteria, including not having committed serious disciplinary infractions during incarceration and having completed relevant rehabilitation programs. It also requires that crime victims receive notification as mandated by law. If an inmate meets these criteria, they may be released on parole without a hearing, but they will remain under the legal custody of the Commissioner of Corrections and be supervised by the Division of Parole. Denials of administrative parole release will be subject to appeal, and a study will be conducted to analyze the impact of these changes on inmate eligibility for parole.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 30:4-123.55