HB299 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris EnglandRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Pardons and Paroles, requirements for release on parole further provided for, apply for appellate relief when parole denied in certain circumstances, require medical parole hearing held within a certain time frame, allow an inmate released on medical furlough place of residence

Summary

HB299 would overhaul Alabama's parole system to prioritize inmate health, expand reconsideration rights after denial, and create new medical parole procedures and residency options for medical furlough releases.

What This Bill Does

The Board of Pardons and Paroles must give weighted consideration to an inmate's health when making parole decisions. If a nonviolent offense with a sentence of 20 years or less is denied, parole must be reconsidered within two years; for inmates who have served at least 10 years and are 60 or older, reconsideration must occur within two years and include a detailed plan to improve the chances at the next hearing, with a new parole hearing within 90 days if the plan is not provided. The bill creates appellate relief for prisoners with serious chronic health conditions denied parole and requires a medical parole hearing within 30 days of eligibility, along with appellate relief for denied medical parole. It also allows inmates released on medical furlough to reside in any state and establishes a special medical parole docket with open hearings, plus reporting and notice requirements.

Who It Affects

• Inmates and parole candidates, especially those with health issues or who are age 60+ with long sentences, who would face health-weighted parole decisions, mandatory reconsideration timelines, and potential appellate or medical parole options.
• The Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Department of Corrections, the Governor and Attorney General (notice/objection requirements), victims and their representatives, prosecutors, and other parties involved in parole decisions, who gain new duties, oversight, and notification responsibilities.

Key Provisions

• The board must give weighted consideration to an inmate's health when determining parole, with guidelines that also account for risk assessments, input from victims, program participation, institutional behavior, and offense severity.
• For nonviolent offenses with sentences of 20 years or less denied parole, the board must reconsider within two years; for inmates who have served at least 10 years and are 60 or older, reconsideration must occur within two years and include a detailed plan to improve chances at the next hearing; if the plan is not provided, a new parole hearing must be held within 90 days.
• There will be appellate relief for prisoners with serious chronic health conditions denied parole, including the right to seek judicial review, with a defined appeal process (notice within 28 days, circuit court venue, de novo review, and potential appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals).
• Medical parole hearings must be held within 30 days of an inmate becoming eligible for medical parole, and there is appellate relief for denied medical parole.
• The bill creates a special medical parole docket and open hearings to consider geriatric, permanently incapacitated, or terminally ill inmates for medical parole; inmates identified as eligible may be released on medical furlough, and may reside in any state; notices must be sent to relevant parties prior to release.
• The act includes nonsubstantive, technical updates to update existing code language and adds reporting requirements on medical parole activity and outcomes.

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

Subjects

Incarceration