SB219 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tom Whatley

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Pardons and Paroles, mandatory supervised release of inmates, to further provide for supervision upon release, Sec. 15-22-26.2 am'd.

Summary

The bill changes how some inmates near release are supervised, shifting from an intensive program to Board of Pardons and Paroles supervision, and adds parole-violation sanctions and victim-notification requirements.

What This Bill Does

It removes the requirement for an intensive pre-release program and instead places eligible inmates under supervision by the Board of Pardons and Paroles. It sets specific time windows for when inmates are released to Board supervision based on their sentence length: 3-5 months prior for sentences up to 5 years, 6-9 months for more than 5 but less than 10 years, and 12-24 months for 10 years or more. It requires that inmates released to supervision be treated as parolees and be subject to sanctions for parole violations, with notice given to victims and interested parties before release. It excludes sex offenses involving a child from these provisions.

Who It Affects

• Inmates nearing release: would be supervised by the Board of Pardons and Paroles instead of an intensive pre-release program.
• Department of Corrections and Board of Pardons and Paroles: would oversee the release-to-supervision process and monitor parole conditions.
• Victims and interested parties: would receive pre-release notice through the victim notification system.
• Individuals convicted of sex offenses involving a child: would not be covered by these provisions.

Key Provisions

• Eliminates the mandatory intensive program requirement for inmates nearing release and transfers supervision to the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
• Defines release-to-supervision timing based on sentence length: 5 to <10 years (6-9 months prior), 10+ years (12-24 months prior).
• Excludes sex offenses involving a child from these provisions.
• Requires notice to victims and interested parties before release via the victim notification system.
• If released to supervision, the offender becomes a parolee under the Board of Pardons and Paroles and is subject to parole-violation sanctions under Sections 15-22-29 and 15-22-32.
• Effective date: 30 days after passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Pardons and Paroles