(a) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Board” means the board of parole;

(2) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of correction;

(3) “Designated capacity” means the number of adult male and female inmates who may be confined in all state correctional facilities under humane and constitutional conditions, as determined by the commissioner;

(4) “In-house population” means the total number of adult male or female inmates physically present within all state correctional facilities on a given day;

(5) “Parole” means the release of an inmate to the community by the board of parole prior to the expiration of the inmate's term, subject to conditions imposed by the board and to its supervision, or where a court or other authority has issued a warrant against the prisoner and the board in its discretion has released the prisoner to answer the warrant of the court or authority;

(6) “Prisoner” means an inmate confined in a state correctional facility or a felony offender confined in a local jail or workhouse who is serving a sentence of one (1) or more years; and

(7) “Relevant designated capacity” means the capacity of the state correctional facilities housing all adult male or all adult female inmates, or both, under the conditions set forth in the definition of “designated capacity.”

(b) For purposes of this part, and with reference to prisoners sentenced for offenses occurring prior to July 1, 1982, references to release eligibility dates are deemed references to a prisoner's earliest release date.