Bill > SB1244

This bill modifies Oklahoma's parole criteria for elderly inmates, changing several key provisions related to parole eligibility and the Pardon and Parole Board's decision-making process. The bill allows inmates who are 60 years or older to request a parole hearing after serving either 10 years or one-third of their total imprisonment term, and removes previous restrictions that excluded inmates convicted of certain crimes. The Pardon and Parole Board is now required (rather than permitted) to place eligible aging inmates on the parole docket and grant parole if they determine, using an evidence-based risk-assessment instrument, that the inmate does not pose a substantial public safety risk. The risk-assessment instrument must now also include the inmate's health status, and the terminology is updated from "aging prisoner" to "aging inmate". Notably, the bill shifts the Board's discretion to a more mandatory approach by changing language from "may" to "shall" in several key sections, which means the Board must now take specific actions for eligible elderly inmates. The bill will become effective on November 1, 2026, providing ample time for implementation and preparation by the relevant agencies.

Justice

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1244&Session=2600