A. For a crime committed prior to July 1, 1998, any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections shall be eligible for consideration for parole at the earliest of the following dates:

1. Has completed serving one-third (1/3) of the sentence;

2. Has reached at least sixty (60) years of age and also has served at least fifty percent (50%) of the time of imprisonment that would have been imposed for that offense pursuant to the applicable matrix, provided in Sections 598 through 601, Chapter 133, O.S.L. 1997; provided, however, no inmate serving a sentence for crimes listed in Schedules A, S-1, S-2 or S-3 of Section 6, Chapter 133, O.S.L. 1997, or serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole shall be eligible to be considered for parole pursuant to this paragraph;

3. Has reached eighty-five percent (85%) of the midpoint of the time of imprisonment that would have been imposed for an offense that is listed in Schedule A, B, C, D, D-1, S-1, S-2 or S-3 of Section 6, Chapter 133, O.S.L. 1997, pursuant to the applicable matrix; provided, however, no inmate serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole shall be eligible to be considered for parole pursuant to this paragraph; or

4. Has reached seventy-five percent (75%) of the midpoint of the time of imprisonment that would have been imposed for an offense that is listed in any other schedule, pursuant to the applicable matrix; provided, however, no inmate serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole shall be eligible to be considered for parole pursuant to this paragraph.

B. For a crime committed on or after July 1, 1998, and before November 1, 2018, any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections shall be eligible for consideration for parole who has completed serving one-third (1/3) of the sentence; provided, however, no inmate serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole shall be eligible to be considered for parole pursuant to this subsection.

C. For a crime committed on or after November 1, 2018, any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections shall be eligible for parole after serving one-fourth (1/4) of the sentence or consecutive sentences imposed, according to the following criteria:

1. A person eligible for parole under this subsection shall be eligible for administrative parole under subsection R of this section once the person serves one-fourth (1/4) of the sentence or consecutive sentences imposed; provided, however, no inmate serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole, a sentence for a violent crime as set forth in Section 571 of this title or any crime enumerated in Section 13.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be eligible for administrative parole.

2. A person eligible for parole under this subsection shall be eligible for parole once the person serves one-fourth (1/4) of the sentence or consecutive sentences imposed; provided, however no inmate serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole is eligible for parole.

D. The parole hearings conducted for persons pursuant to paragraph 3 of subsection A of this section or for any person who was convicted of a violent crime as set forth in Section 571 of this title and who is eligible for parole consideration pursuant to paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section, subsection B or paragraph 2 of subsection C of this section shall be conducted in two stages, as follows:

1. At the initial hearing, the Pardon and Parole Board shall review the completed report submitted by the staff of the Board and shall conduct a vote regarding whether, based upon that report, the Board decides to consider the person for parole at a subsequent meeting of the Board; and

2. At the subsequent meeting, the Board shall hear from any victim or representatives of the victim that want to contest the granting of parole to that person and shall conduct a vote regarding whether parole should be recommended for that person.

E. Any inmate who has parole consideration dates calculated pursuant to subsection A, B or C of this section may be considered up to two (2) months prior to the parole eligibility date. Except as otherwise directed by the Pardon and Parole Board, any person who has been considered for parole and was denied parole or who has waived consideration shall not be reconsidered for parole:

1. Within three (3) years of the denial or waiver, if the person was convicted of a violent crime, as set forth in Section 571 of this title, and was eligible for consideration pursuant to paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section, subsection B of this section or paragraph 2 of subsection C of this section, unless the person is within one (1) year of discharge; or

2. Until the person has served at least one-third (1/3) of the sentence imposed, if the person was eligible for consideration pursuant to paragraph 3 of subsection A of this section. Thereafter the person shall not be considered more frequently than once every three (3) years, unless the person is within one (1) year of discharge.

F. Any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a crime committed prior to July 1, 1998, who has been considered for parole on a docket created for a type of parole consideration that has been abolished by the Legislature shall not be considered for parole except in accordance with this section.

G. The Pardon and Parole Board shall promulgate rules for the implementation of subsections A, B and C of this section. The rules shall include, but not be limited to, procedures for reconsideration of persons denied parole under this section and procedure for determining what sentence a person eligible for parole consideration pursuant to subsection A of this section would have received under the applicable matrix.

H. The Pardon and Parole Board shall not recommend to the Governor any person who has been convicted of three or more felonies arising out of separate and distinct transactions, with three or more incarcerations for such felonies, unless such person shall have served the lesser of at least one-third (1/3) of the sentence imposed, or ten (10) years; provided, that whenever the population of the prison system exceeds ninety-five percent (95%) of the capacity as certified by the State Board of Corrections, the Pardon and Parole Board may, at its discretion, recommend to the Governor for parole any person who is incarcerated for a nonviolent offense not involving injury to a person and who is within six (6) months of his or her statutory parole eligibility date.

I. Inmates sentenced to consecutive sentences shall not be eligible for parole consideration on any such consecutive sentence until one-third (1/3) of the consecutive sentence has been served or where parole has been otherwise limited by law, until the minimum term of incarceration has been served as required by law. Unless otherwise ordered by the sentencing court, any credit for jail time served shall be credited to only one offense.

J. The Pardon and Parole Board shall consider the prior criminal record of inmates under consideration for parole recommendation or granting of parole.

K. In the event the Board grants parole for a nonviolent offender who has previously been convicted of an offense enumerated in Section 13.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes or Section 571 of this title, such offender shall be subject to nine (9) months postimprisonment supervision upon release.

L. It shall be the duty of the Pardon and Parole Board to cause an examination to be made at the penal institution where the person is assigned, and to make inquiry into the conduct and the record of the said person during his custody in the Department of Corrections, which shall be considered as a basis for consideration of said person for recommendation to the Governor for parole. However, the Pardon and Parole Board shall not be required to consider for parole any person who has completed the time period provided for in this subsection if the person has participated in a riot or in the taking of hostages, or has been placed on escape status, while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. The Pardon and Parole Board shall adopt policies and procedures governing parole consideration for such persons.

M. Any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections who is convicted of an offense not designated as a violent offense by Section 571 of this title, is not a citizen of the United States and is subject to or becomes subject to a final order of deportation issued by the United States Department of Justice shall be considered for parole to the custody of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service for continuation of deportation proceedings at any time subsequent to reception and processing through the Department of Corrections. No person shall be considered for parole under this subsection without the concurrence of at least three members of the Pardon and Parole Board. The vote on whether or not to consider such person for parole and the names of the concurring Board members shall be set forth in the written minutes of the meeting of the Board at which the issue is considered.

N. Upon application of any person convicted and sentenced by a court of this state and relinquished to the custody of another state or federal authorities pursuant to Section 61.2 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the Pardon and Parole Board may determine a parole consideration date consistent with the provisions of this section and criteria established by the Pardon and Parole Board.

O. All references in this section to matrices or schedules shall be construed with reference to the provisions of Sections 6, 598, 599, 600 and 601, Chapter 133, O.S.L. 1997.

P. Any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections who is convicted of a felony sex offense pursuant to Section 582 of this title who is paroled shall immediately be placed on intensive supervision.

Q. A person in the custody of the Department of Corrections whose parole consideration date is calculated pursuant to subsection B or C of this section, and is not serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole or who is not convicted of an offense designated as a violent offense by Section 571 of this title or any crime enumerated in Section 13.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be eligible for administrative parole under subsection R of this section.

R. The Pardon and Parole Board shall, by majority vote, grant administrative parole to any person in the custody of the Department of Corrections if:

1. The person has substantially complied with the requirements of the case plan established pursuant to Section 512 of this title;

2. A victim, as defined in Section 332.2 of this title, or the district attorney speaking on behalf of a victim, has not submitted an objection;

3. The person has not received a primary class X infraction within two (2) years of the parole eligibility date;

4. The person has not received a secondary class X infraction within one (1) year of the parole eligibility date; or

5. The person has not received a class A infraction within six (6) months of the parole eligibility date.

S. Any person granted parole pursuant to subsection R of this section shall be released from the institution at the time of the parole eligibility date of the person as calculated under subsection B or C of this section.

T. No less than ninety (90) days prior to the parole eligibility date of the person, the Department shall notify the Pardon and Parole Board in writing of the compliance or noncompliance of the person with the case plan and any infractions committed by the person.

U. The Pardon and Parole Board shall not be required to conduct a hearing before granting administrative parole pursuant to subsection R of this section.

V. Any person who is not granted administrative parole shall be otherwise eligible for parole pursuant to this section.

W. Any person who is granted administrative parole under subsection R of this section shall be supervised and managed by the Department of Corrections in the same manner as a parolee who has been granted parole pursuant to this section. The person shall be subject to all of the rules and regulations of parole.

Added by Laws 1947, p. 343, § 1. Amended by Laws 1980, c. 84, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1980; Laws 1987, c. 28, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1987; Laws 1988, c. 141, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 1988; Laws 1989, c. 348, § 22, eff. Nov. 1, 1989; Laws 1993, c. 276, § 1, emerg. eff. May 27, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 168, § 1, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 26, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1997, c. 333, § 23, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 89, § 6, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 18, emerg. eff. June 19, 1998; Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 12, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 437, § 27, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2003, c. 306, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 168, § 7, emerg. eff. April 27, 2004; Laws 2013, c. 124, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2018, c. 117, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2018.

NOTE: Laws 1993, c. 187, § 2 repealed by Laws 1994, c. 2, § 34, emerg. eff. March 2, 1994.

NOTE: Laws 2004, c. 168, § 18, providing for an effective date of Nov. 1, 2004, was repealed by Laws 2004, c. 382, § 4, emerg. eff. June 3, 2004.