HB380 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Connie C. Rowe

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Pardons and paroles, authorize Governor, with advice and consent of Senate, to fill a vacant seat on the board; further provide for membership of the board, authorize Governor to appoint a Director of Pardons and Paroles and establish responsibilities; set criteria to be used by the board to determine prisoners initial consideration date; set parameters if board deviates and require approval from AG, Secs. 15-22-20, 15-22-21, 15-22-26, 15-22-28, 15-22-36, 15-22-37 am'd.

Summary

HB 380 reorganizes Alabama’s pardons and paroles system by changing how a board seat is filled, creating a Director position, setting parole-date rules, and strengthening victim notification.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the Governor can fill a vacant Board of Pardons and Paroles seat with Senate approval from a short list of five nominees. It creates a Director of Pardons and Paroles as the chief executive officer to run the board’s operations. It sets structured criteria for when prisoners are first considered for parole, allows limited deviations only with higher-level review, and requires notifying victims and other interested parties before board action.

Who It Affects

• Prisoners and parolees: their initial parole consideration dates would be set according to defined schedules and criteria, with potential deviations needing deputy/assistant attorney general approval and a clear process.
• Victims, victims’ representatives, prosecutors, law enforcement, and state officials involved in oversight: they must be notified about actions, can provide input, and have specified methods and timelines for receiving notice and communicating with the board.

Key Provisions

• The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, may fill a vacant Board of Pardons and Paroles seat from five nominees chosen by a nominating board composed of top state officials; appointments require Senate confirmation.
• The board shall have three members who reflect state diversity; at least one member must be a current or former law enforcement officer with at least 10 years’ experience in violent crime investigation or related supervision; terms are six years.
• The Governor may appoint a Director of Pardons and Paroles (the board’s chief executive officer), who hires staff, manages budgets, develops policies, attends board meetings, and proposes rules under the board’s oversight.
• Parole criteria will be guided by actuarial, risk-based guidelines that consider reoffending risk, reentry planning, victim input, program participation, behavior in prison, and offense severity; guidelines are reviewed every three years.
• For violent offenses, parole decisions require a unanimous vote, and the board must set and follow specific initial parole consideration dates based on sentence length and offense type; deviations require review by the deputy/assistant attorney general.
• The board must notify the Attorney General, District Attorney, and other specified officials at least 30 days (and up to 45 days for victims) before considering parole, pardons, or related actions, and must use the automated victim notification system to inform interested parties.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Corrections Department