Under present law, an inmate who is convicted of a felony must not be granted parole if the board of parole finds that (i) there is a substantial risk that the incarcerated individual will not conform to the conditions of the release program and (ii) the release from custody would depreciate the seriousness of the crime that the individual was convicted of or promote disrespect for the law. Additionally the board's finding must not be the sole basis for denying parole unless the individual is serving a sentence for certain crimes, including, but not limited to, first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated vehicular homicide. This bill, instead, authorizes the board's finding to be the sole basis for denying parole even if the individual is serving a sentence for such crimes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40-35-503(b)(2)(A), 40-35-503