(A)(1) The Board of Juvenile Parole shall meet monthly and at other times as may be necessary to review the records and progress of juveniles committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice for the purpose of deciding the release or revocation of release of these juveniles. The board shall make periodic inspections, at least quarterly, of the records of these juveniles and may issue temporary and final discharges or release these juveniles conditionally and prescribe conditions for release into aftercare. Before a juvenile is conditionally released, the juvenile must agree in writing to be subject to search or seizure, without a search warrant, with or without cause, of the juvenile's person, any vehicle the juvenile owns or is driving, and any of the juvenile's possessions by:

(a) the juvenile's aftercare counselor;

(b) any probation agent employed by the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services; or

(c) any other law enforcement officer.

A juvenile may not be conditionally released by the parole board if he fails to comply with this provision. However, a juvenile who was adjudicated delinquent of a Class C misdemeanor or an unclassified misdemeanor that carries a term of imprisonment of not more than one year may not be required to agree to be subject to search or seizure, without a search warrant, with or without cause, of the juvenile's person, any vehicle the juvenile owns or is driving, or any of the juvenile's possessions.

Immediately before each search or seizure conducted pursuant to this item, the law enforcement officer seeking to conduct the search or seizure must verify with the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services or by any other means available to the officer that the individual upon whom the search or seizure will be conducted is currently on parole or probation or that the individual is currently subject to the provisions of his conditional release. A law enforcement officer conducting a search or seizure without a warrant pursuant to this item shall report to the law enforcement agency that employs him all of these searches or seizures, which shall include the name, address, age, gender, and race or ethnicity of the person that is the subject of the search or seizure. The law enforcement agency shall submit this information at the end of each month to the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services for review of abuse. A finding of abuse of the use of searches or seizures without a search warrant must be reported by the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services to the State Law Enforcement Division for investigation. If the law enforcement officer fails to report each search or seizure pursuant to this item, he is subject to discipline pursuant to the employing agency's policies and procedures.

(2)(a) It is the right of a juvenile who has not committed a violent offense, as defined by Section 16-1-60, and for whom the board is the releasing entity, to appear personally before the board every three months for the purpose of parole consideration, but no appearance may begin until the board determines that an appropriate period of time has elapsed since the juvenile's commitment.

(b) The board may waive the quarterly review of juveniles committed to the department, for whom the board is the releasing entity, for the commission of a violent crime, as defined in Section 16-1-60, until the juvenile reaches the minimum parole guidelines the board establishes for the juvenile. At that point, the board may schedule its first review of the juvenile from three months up to twelve months after the juvenile reaches the minimum parole guidelines established by the board. The scheduling of subsequent reviews is in the discretion of the board but must occur within three to twelve months of the juvenile's last appearance.

(3) In order to allow reviews and appearances by juveniles, for whom the board is the releasing entity, the board may assign the members or individuals to meet in panels of not less than three members or individuals, to receive progress reports and recommendations, review cases, meet with juveniles, meet with counselors, and to hear matters and consider cases for release, parole, and parole revocation. Membership on these panels must be periodically rotated on a random basis. At the meetings of the panels, a unanimous vote must be considered the final decision. A panel vote that is not unanimous must not be considered as a final decision, and the matter must be referred to the full parole board, which shall determine the matter by a majority vote of its membership.

(4) The board may conduct parole hearings by means of a two-way, closed circuit television system.

(5) The board shall develop written guidelines for the consideration of parole release of juveniles committed to the department for offenses for which the parole board is the releasing entity.

The board shall provide these guidelines to juveniles, for whom the board is the releasing entity, upon commitment and periodically reviewed with each juvenile to assess the progress made toward achieving release on parole.

(B) In the cases of juveniles for whom the department is the releasing entity, the department shall establish policies and procedures governing the review and release procedures for these juveniles.

(C) In the determination of the type of discharges or conditional releases granted, the releasing entity shall consider the interests of the person involved and the interests of society and shall employ the services of and consult with the personnel of the Department of Juvenile Justice. The releasing entity may from time to time modify the conditions of discharges or conditional releases previously granted.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2; 2010 Act No. 151, Section 3, eff April 28, 2010.

Editor's Note

2010 Act No. 151, Sections 2 and 16, provide:

"SECTION 2. It is the intent of the General Assembly of South Carolina to provide law enforcement officers with the statutory authority to reduce recidivism rates of probationers and parolees, apprehend criminals, and protect potential victims from criminal enterprises."

"SECTION 16. In any instance in which a law enforcement officer has failed to make the reports necessary to the State Law Enforcement Division for warrantless searches, then in the absence of a written policy by the employing agency enforcing the reporting requirements, the otherwise applicable state-imposed, one-day suspension without pay applies."

Effect of Amendment

The 2010 amendment in subsection (A)(1) added the text following the second sentence.