A. Persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections sentenced for crimes committed prior to July 1, 1998, who meet the following guidelines may be considered by the Pardon and Parole Board for a specialized parole:

1.a.who are within one (1) year of projected release date and are serving a sentence for a crime listed in Schedule A, B, C, D or D-1 on the main sentencing matrix or S-1, S-2 or S-3 on the sex crimes matrix; or

b.who are within two (2) years of projected release date and are serving a sentence for an offense that is in a different schedule of the main matrix or is on the drug crimes or intoxicant crimes involving a vehicle matrix; and

2. Who have completed at least one of the following:

a.general education diploma, or

b.adult literacy program, or

c.residential substance abuse program, or

d.participation in a prison public works program for ninety (90) consecutive days, or

e.a vocational-technical education program, or

f.other educational or rehabilitation program available in the department; and

3. Who are not incarcerated for an offense for which parole is prohibited pursuant to law.

B. Upon an inmate becoming eligible for specialized parole it shall be the duty of the Pardon and Parole Board, with or without application being made, to cause an examination to be made of the criminal record of the inmate and to make inquiry into the conduct and the record of the inmate during confinement in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

C. Upon a favorable finding by the Pardon and Parole Board, the Board shall recommend to the Governor that the inmate be placed on specialized parole. If approved by the Governor, notification shall be made to the Department of Corrections that said inmate has been placed on specialized parole.

D. Prior to the placement of an inmate on specialized parole, the Pardon and Parole Board shall provide written notification to the sheriff and district attorney of the county in which any person on specialized parole is to be placed and to the chief law enforcement officer of any incorporated city or town in which said person is to be placed of the placement of the person on specialized parole within the county or incorporated city or town. The Board also shall provide written notification of the placement of the person on specialized parole within the county or incorporated city or town to any victim of the crime for which the inmate was convicted by mailing the notification to the last-known address of the victim, if such information is requested by the victim. The Board shall not give the address of the inmate to any victim of the crime for which the inmate was convicted.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 310, § 8, operative July 1, 1988. Amended by Laws 1989, c. 306, § 1, emerg. eff. May 25, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 105, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1990; Laws 1991, c. 291, § 13, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Laws 1993, c. 125, § 7, emerg. eff. April 29, 1993; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 28, eff. July 1, 1997.