Bill > SB209

This bill modifies the conditions under which geriatric prisoners can petition the Parole Board for conditional release, which is a form of early release from prison based on certain criteria. Specifically, it expands the list of felony offenses that make a prisoner ineligible for this conditional release. Previously, only Class 1 felonies were explicitly excluded, but this bill adds several other serious offenses, including certain homicides, sexual assaults, arson, and other violent crimes, to the list of disqualifying convictions. For some of these offenses, the ineligibility only applies if the crime was committed on or after July 1, 2026, and for repeat offenses, it also requires that the person was out of liberty between convictions. The bill also updates the age and years of service requirements for petitioning, changing "sixty-five" to "65" and "sixty" to "60," and "ten" to "10" years of service for the younger age group. Finally, it clarifies that the Parole Board will create rules, referred to as "rules" instead of "regulations," to implement these changes.