This bill amends Section 332.21 of Title 57 of the Oklahoma Statutes, focusing on the criteria for granting parole to aging inmates. It modifies the language to replace "prisoner" with "inmate" throughout the section and updates the criteria for parole eligibility. Specifically, it establishes that inmates who are 60 years or older, have served either ten years or one-third of their total sentence, and do not pose substantial safety risks may be eligible for parole. The bill also mandates the Pardon and Parole Board to use an evidence-based risk-assessment instrument that includes the health status of inmates when determining parole eligibility.

Additionally, the bill requires the Pardon and Parole Board to place eligible inmates on the next available docket for a parole hearing and to grant parole if it finds that the inmate can live without posing a substantial risk to public safety. The language changes also clarify that the authority to grant parole rests solely with the Pardon and Parole Board. The act is set to take effect on November 1, 2026.