(a) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that the period immediately following incarceration is critical to successful reintegration of the offender into society and to positive citizenship. It is in the interest of public safety for the state to provide for the effective supervision of and surveillance of parolees, including the judicious use of revocation actions, and to provide educational, vocational, family, and personal counseling necessary to assist parolees in the transition between imprisonment and discharge. A sentence resulting in imprisonment in the state prison pursuant to Section 1168 or 1170 shall include a period of parole supervision or postrelease community supervision, unless waived, or as otherwise provided in this article.

(2) The Legislature finds and declares that it is not the intent of this section to diminish resources allocated to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for parole functions for which the department is responsible. It is also not the intent of this section to diminish the resources allocated to the Board of Parole Hearings to execute its duties with respect to parole functions for which the board is responsible.

(3) The Legislature finds and declares that diligent effort must be made to ensure that parolees are held accountable for their criminal behavior, including, but not limited to, the satisfaction of restitution fines and orders.

(4) For any person subject to a sexually violent predator proceeding pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 6600) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, an order issued by a judge pursuant to Section 6601.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, finding that the petition, on its face, supports a finding of probable cause to believe that the individual named in the petition is likely to engage in sexually violent predatory criminal behavior upon his or her release, shall toll the period of parole of that person, from the date that person is released by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as follows:

(A) If the person is committed to the State Department of State Hospitals as a sexually violent predator and subsequently a court orders that the person be unconditionally discharged, the parole period shall be tolled until the date the judge enters the order unconditionally discharging that person.

(B) If the person is not committed to the State Department of State Hospitals as a sexually violent predator, the tolling of the parole period shall be abrogated and the parole period shall be deemed to have commenced on the date of release from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(5) Paragraph (4) applies to persons released by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on or after January 1, 2012. Persons released by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prior to January 1, 2012, shall continue to be subject to the law governing the tolling of parole in effect on December 31, 2011.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Article 3 (commencing with Section 3040) of this chapter, the following shall apply to any inmate subject to Section 3000.08:

(1) In the case of any inmate sentenced under Section 1168 for a crime committed prior to July 1, 2013, the period of parole shall not exceed five years in the case of an inmate imprisoned for any offense other than first or second degree murder for which the inmate has received a life sentence, and shall not exceed three years in the case of any other inmate, unless in either case the Board of Parole Hearings for good cause waives parole and discharges the inmate from custody of the department. This subdivision shall also be applicable to inmates who committed crimes prior to July 1, 1977, to the extent specified in Section 1170.2. In the case of any inmate sentenced under Section 1168 for a crime committed on or after July 1, 2013, the period of parole shall not exceed five years in the case of an inmate imprisoned for any offense other than first or second degree murder for which the inmate has received a life sentence, and shall not exceed three years in the case of any other inmate, unless in either case the department for good cause waives parole and discharges the inmate from custody of the department.

(2) (A) For a crime committed prior to July 1, 2013, at the expiration of a term of imprisonment of one year and one day, or a term of imprisonment imposed pursuant to Section 1170 or at the expiration of a term reduced pursuant to Section 2931 or 2933, if applicable, the inmate shall be released on parole for a period not exceeding three years, except that any inmate sentenced for an offense specified in paragraph (3), (4), (5), (6), (11), or (18) of subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 shall be released on parole for a period not exceeding 10 years, unless a longer period of parole is specified in Section 3000.1.

(B) For a crime committed on or after July 1, 2013, at the expiration of a term of imprisonment of one year and one day, or a term of imprisonment imposed pursuant to Section 1170 or at the expiration of a term reduced pursuant to Section 2931 or 2933, if applicable, the inmate shall be released on parole for a period of three years, except that any inmate sentenced for an offense specified in paragraph (3), (4), (5), (6), (11), or (18) of subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 shall be released on parole for a period of 10 years, unless a longer period of parole is specified in Section 3000.1.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), in the case of any offense for which the inmate has received a life sentence pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 209, with the intent to commit a specified sex offense, or Section 667.51, 667.61, or 667.71, the period of parole shall be 10 years, unless a longer period of parole is specified in Section 3000.1.

(4) (A) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, in the case of a person convicted of and required to register as a sex offender for the commission of an offense specified in Section 261, 262, 264.1, 286, 287, paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 288, Section 288.5 or 289, or former Section 288a, in which one or more of the victims of the offense was a child under 14 years of age, the period of parole shall be 20 years and six months unless the board, for good cause, determines that the person will be retained on parole. The board shall make a written record of this determination and transmit a copy of it to the parolee.

(B) In the event of a retention on parole, the parolee shall be entitled to a review by the board each year thereafter.

(C) There shall be a board hearing consistent with the procedures set forth in Sections 3041.5 and 3041.7 within 12 months of the date of any revocation of parole to consider the release of the inmate on parole, and notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 3041.5, there shall be annual parole consideration hearings thereafter, unless the person is released or otherwise ineligible for parole release. The panel or board shall release the person within one year of the date of the revocation unless it determines that the circumstances and gravity of the parole violation are such that consideration of the public safety requires a more lengthy period of incarceration or unless there is a new prison commitment following a conviction.

(D) The provisions of Section 3042 shall not apply to any hearing held pursuant to this subdivision.

(5) (A) The Board of Parole Hearings shall consider the request of any inmate whose commitment offense occurred prior to July 1, 2013, regarding the length of his or her parole and the conditions thereof.

(B) For an inmate whose commitment offense occurred on or after July 1, 2013, except for those inmates described in Section 3000.1, the department shall consider the request of the inmate regarding the length of his or her parole and the conditions thereof. For those inmates described in Section 3000.1, the Board of Parole Hearings shall consider the request of the inmate regarding the length of his or her parole and the conditions thereof.

(6) Upon successful completion of parole, or at the end of the maximum statutory period of parole specified for the inmate under paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4), as the case may be, whichever is earlier, the inmate shall be discharged from custody. The date of the maximum statutory period of parole under this subdivision and paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) shall be computed from the date of initial parole and shall be a period chronologically determined. Time during which parole is suspended because the prisoner has absconded or has been returned to custody as a parole violator shall not be credited toward any period of parole unless the prisoner is found not guilty of the parole violation. However, the period of parole is subject to the following:

(A) Except as provided in Section 3064, in no case may a prisoner subject to three years on parole be retained under parole supervision or in custody for a period longer than four years from the date of his or her initial parole.

(B) Except as provided in Section 3064, in no case may a prisoner subject to five years on parole be retained under parole supervision or in custody for a period longer than seven years from the date of his or her initial parole.

(C) Except as provided in Section 3064, in no case may a prisoner subject to 10 years on parole be retained under parole supervision or in custody for a period longer than 15 years from the date of his or her initial parole.

(7) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall meet with each inmate at least 30 days prior to his or her good time release date and shall provide, under guidelines specified by the parole authority or the department, whichever is applicable, the conditions of parole and the length of parole up to the maximum period of time provided by law. The inmate has the right to reconsideration of the length of parole and conditions thereof by the department or the parole authority, whichever is applicable. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or the board may impose as a condition of parole that a prisoner make payments on the prisoner’s outstanding restitution fines or orders imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (c) of Section 13967 of the Government Code, as operative prior to September 28, 1994, or subdivision (b) or (f) of Section 1202.4.

(8) For purposes of this chapter, and except as otherwise described in this section, the board shall be considered the parole authority.

(9) (A)  On and after July 1, 2013, the sole authority to issue warrants for the return to actual custody of any state prisoner released on parole rests with the court pursuant to Section 1203.2, except for any escaped state prisoner or any state prisoner released prior to his or her scheduled release date who should be returned to custody, and Section 5054.1 shall apply.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any warrant issued by the Board of Parole Hearings prior to July 1, 2013, shall remain in full force and effect until the warrant is served or it is recalled by the board. All prisoners on parole arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the board shall be subject to a review by the board prior to the department filing a petition with the court to revoke the parole of the petitioner.

(10) It is the intent of the Legislature that efforts be made with respect to persons who are subject to Section 290.011 who are on parole to engage them in treatment.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 423, Sec. 104. (SB 1494) Effective January 1, 2019. Note: This section was amended on Nov. 7, 2006, by initiative Prop. 83.)