The bill revises the "Parole Act of 1979" by introducing new definitions and clarifications regarding parole processes, including terms such as "preliminary hearing," "revocation hearing," and "technical parole violation." It establishes a system for earning and forfeiting compliance credits based on adherence to parole conditions, as well as provisions for retroactive compliance credits for eligible individuals. The bill also repeals existing laws related to violations committed by parolees released due to overcrowding, streamlining the parole process. It mandates public notice from the Parole Board prior to considering any adult inmate for release and requires the development of a schedule for future parole eligibility dates based on offense severity and offender characteristics.

Additionally, the bill amends the criteria for parole eligibility and revocation procedures, changing the standard to assess the likelihood of reoffending if released. It removes parole requirements for juvenile incarcerated individuals and clarifies the revocation process by defining key terms and outlining hearing procedures. The bill ensures that multiple violations from a single incident are not treated as separate violations and expands the list of violations that cannot solely lead to revocation. It also introduces a new compliance credit system, allowing for a reduction of parole terms, while maintaining restrictions for individuals under the No Early Release Act (NERA). Overall, the bill aims to enhance the efficiency, fairness, and transparency of the parole system while ensuring accountability for parolees.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 30:4-123.48, 30:4-123.53, 30:4-123.55, 30:4-123.56, 30:4-123.60, 30:4-123.62, 30:4-123.63, 30:4-123.64, 30:4-123.66, 2C:29-9, 30:4-123.76