HB 579 Summary

• Amends parole consideration criteria to require the Board of Pardons and Paroles to consider validated risk and needs assessments, institutional record, release plans, victim input, program participation, behavior, offense severity, prior criminal record, and evidence of rehabilitation.

• Establishes that parole shall be granted to eligible prisoners unless the parole case file demonstrates current and unreasonable risk of law violation that cannot be mitigated by parole supervision.

• Requires the board to adopt guidelines providing that prisoners convicted of nonviolent offenses with sentences of 20 years or less who are denied parole must be reconsidered for release no more than two years after denial.

• Mandates the board develop and adopt guidelines based on validated risk and needs assessments for supervision and treatment of probationers and parolees, with probation and parole officers assigned no more than 20 active high-risk cases at any one time.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.