SB248 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Will BarfootSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to pardons and paroles; to add Article 1A, commencing with Section 15-22-10.01 to Chapter 22 of Title 15, Code of Alabama 1975, to reconstitute the Board of Pardons and Paroles as the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles; to reorganize the functions and duties of the bureau and to provide for the duties of the Board of Pardons and Paroles within the bureau; to transfer certain language relating to pardons and paroles to a new article within the Code of Alabama 1975; to specify the duties and responsibilities of the Director of the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles and to provide for the personnel of the bureau; to amend 15-18-71, 15-18-72, 15-18-74, 15-18-76, 15-18-77, 15-22-42, 15-22-43, 15-22-51, 15-22-53, and Section 15-22-54, as corrected by Act 2022-371, the Codification Act, 2022 Regular Session, and Sections 15-22-56 and 15-22-57, Code of Alabama 1975, to delete duplicative language; to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style; to amend Sections 12-17-184, 14-1-22, 14-1-23, 14-14-5, 15-18-176, 15-20A-48, 15-22-111, 15-22-112, Section 15-22-113, as last amended by Act 2022-382, 2022 Regular Session, Sections 15-22-115, 15-23-79, and 17-3-31, Code of Alabama 1975, to update relevant cross-references in existing law; and to repeal Sections 15-22-20, 15-22-21, 15-22-21.1, 15-22-22, 15-22-23, 15-22-24, 15-22-25, 15-22-26, 15-22-26.1, 15-22-26.2, 15-22-27, 15-22-27.1, 15-22-27.2, 15-22-27.3, 15-22-27.4, 15-22-28, 15-22-29, 15-22-29.1, 15-22-30, 15-22-30.1, 15-22-30.2, 15-22-31, 15-22-32, 15-22-33, 15-22-34, 15-22-35, 15-22-36, 15-22-36.1, 15-22-36.2, 15-22-36.3, 15-22-37, 15-22-38, 15-22-39, and 15-22-40, Code of Alabama 1975.

Summary

SB248 would restructure Alabama’s pardons and paroles system by turning the Board into a Bureau, placing it under a new Director, and updating rules for parole, pardons, revocation, and related programs.

What This Bill Does

It reconstitutes the Board of Pardons and Paroles as the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, with a Governor-appointed Director overseeing the bureau and its staff. It centralizes responsibilities for parole grants, pardons, revocations, remission of fines, and restoration of civil and political rights within the new bureau, and reallocates funds accordingly. It updates cross-references, repeals duplicative language, and implements new procedures including risk-based parole decisions, victim notification, and expanded supervision and treatment programs. It also adds new programs and authorities, such as a PREP pilot to help ex-offenders start small businesses, medical parole for geriatric/incapacitated/terminally ill inmates, and enhanced county jail cooperation for housing and supervising offenders.

Who It Affects

• Inmates, parolees, and probationers — face new initial parole-date calculations, risk-based supervision levels, mandatory trainings for officers, revised parole-revocation processes, and potential electronic monitoring.
• Victims and their families — gain expanded rights and formal notification through an automated victim notification system, including opportunities to provide input and attend hearings.

Key Provisions

• Board of Pardons and Paroles is reconstituted as the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, with a Director appointed by the Governor and accountable for bureau operations; funds previously allocated to the board are reassigned to the bureau.
• The Bureau handles initial parole considerations, investigation and generation of dockets, risk-and-needs assessments, supervision of parolees and probationers, and issuing written parole and probation conditions; a Deputy Director for Parolee Rehabilitation is created to focus on reducing recidivism.
• Parole release guidelines are established (risk-based, actuarially sound, and three-yearly reviewed) and publicly posted; victim input is incorporated, and paroling decisions require a majority vote of the board; notice and due process protections for victims and defendants are enhanced.
• New programs are created, including PREP (Prison Entrepreneurs Training Program) for ex-offenders to start small businesses, and a comprehensive medical parole/furlough framework for geriatric, permanently incapacitated, and terminally ill inmates, with funding, oversight, and reporting requirements.
• A three-member Board of Pardons and Paroles within the bureau is created to decide pardons, paroles, civil-rights restoration, and remissions; its operations must be open to public hearings with documented reasons, and it must follow 30-day notice requirements to affected parties before action.
• Victim notification is integrated into the system, with a statewide automated notification platform, funding through a Victim Notification System Fund, and oversight to ensure compliance; significant emphasis is placed on informing victims of hearings and releases.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.