2011 California Code
Penal Code
PART 3. OF IMPRISONMENT AND THE DEATH PENALTY [2000 - 10007]
ARTICLE 1. General Provisions
Section 3001

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when any person referred to in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 3000 who was not imprisoned for committing a violent felony, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5, not imprisoned for a serious felony, as defined by subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7, or is not required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290, has been released on parole from the state prison, and has been on parole continuously for six months since release from confinement, within 30 days, that person shall be discharged from parole, unless the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recommends to the Board of Parole Hearings that the person be retained on parole and the board, for good cause, determines that the person will be retained. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when any person referred to in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 3000 who was imprisoned for committing a violent felony, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5, has been released on parole from the state prison for a period not exceeding three years and has been on parole continuously for two years since release from confinement, or has been released on parole from the state prison for a period not exceeding five years and has been on parole continuously for three years since release from confinement, the department shall discharge, within 30 days, that person from parole, unless the department recommends to the board that the person be retained on parole and the board, for good cause, determines that the person will be retained. The board shall make a written record of its determination and the department shall transmit a copy thereof to the parolee.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when any person referred to in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 3000 has been released on parole from the state prison, and has been on parole continuously for three years since release from confinement, the board shall discharge, within 30 days, the person from parole, unless the board, for good cause, determines that the person will be retained on parole. The board shall make a written record of its determination and the department shall transmit a copy of that determination to the parolee.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when any person referred to in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 3000 has been released on parole from the state prison, and has been on parole continuously for six years and six months since release from confinement, the board shall discharge, within 30 days, the person from parole, unless the board, for good cause, determines that the person will be retained on parole. The board shall make a written record of its determination and the department shall transmit a copy thereof to the parolee.

(d) In the event of a retention on parole, the parolee shall be entitled to a review by the parole authority each year thereafter until the maximum statutory period of parole has expired.

(e) The amendments to this section made during the 1987 88 Regular Session of the Legislature shall only be applied prospectively and shall not extend the parole period for any person whose eligibility for discharge from parole was fixed as of the effective date of those amendments.

(f) The amendments made to subdivision (a) during the 2011 12 Regular Session and the First Extraordinary Session of the Legislature shall apply prospectively from October 1, 2011, and no person on parole prior to October 1, 2011, shall be discharged from parole pursuant to subdivision (a) unless one of the following circumstances exist:

(1) The person has been on parole continuously for six consecutive months after October 1, 2011, and the person is not retained by the Board of Parole Hearings for good cause.

(2) The person has, on or after October 1, 2011, been on parole for one year and the Board of Parole Hearings does not retain the person for good cause.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 41) by Stats. 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 12, Sec. 20. Effective September 21, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 46 of Ch. 12. Note: This section was amended on Nov. 7, 2006, by initiative Prop. 83. Prop. 83 allows, under vote requirements in Sec. 33, the Legislature to directly amend its provisions.)