2010 Tennessee Code
Title 40 - Criminal Procedure
Chapter 35 - Criminal Sentencing Reform Act of 1989
Part 5 - Release and Parole
40-35-501 - Release eligibility status Calculations.

40-35-501. Release eligibility status Calculations.

(a)  (1)  A felony sentence to the department of correction or to a local jail or workhouse shall be served according to this chapter. An inmate shall not be eligible for parole until reaching the inmate's release eligibility date; provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the offender, in the discretion of the commissioner or sheriff, from participating in work crews that are under direct guard supervision.

     (2)  Except for inmates who receive sentences of imprisonment for life without possibility of parole, only inmates with felony sentences of more than two (2) years or consecutive felony sentences equaling a term greater than two (2) years shall be eligible for parole consideration.

     (3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, inmates with felony sentences of two (2) years or less shall have the remainder of their original sentence suspended upon reaching their release eligibility date. The release shall not occur for sentences of two (2) years or less when the sentences are part of a consecutive sentence whose term is greater than two (2) years. The board of probation and parole shall notify the district attorney general, and the appropriate sheriff, jail administrator, workhouse superintendent or warden of the release eligibility date of all felons with sentences of two (2) years or less in the institution.

     (4)  No inmate shall be released under this section until at least ten (10) days after receipt of all sentencing documents by the department and ten (10) days after the department has sent notice of the release eligibility dates to the district attorney general and the appropriate sheriff, jail administrator, workhouse superintendent or warden.

     (5)  Suspension of sentence in this manner shall be to probation supervision under terms and conditions established by the department.

     (6)  (A)  The district attorney general, or the appropriate sheriff, jail administrator, workhouse superintendent or warden acting through the district attorney general may file a petition with the sentencing court requesting denial of suspension of sentence based on disciplinary violations during time served in the institution. The district attorney general may file a petition with the sentencing court requesting denial of suspension of sentence based on the offender's threat to public safety as indicated by a pattern of prior violent or drug-related criminal behavior evidenced by convictions for at least two (2) crimes against the person or two (2) drug offenses under § 39-17-417. The district attorney general shall promptly send a copy of any petition filed under this subsection (a) to the appropriate sheriff, jail administrator, workhouse superintendent, warden and defense attorney.

          (B)  The court may deny suspension for the remainder of sentence or any portion thereof after a hearing to determine the merits of the petition. The hearing shall be held within twenty (20) days of filing or the petition is deemed to be denied, and may be continued by the court for reasonable cause. The inmate may petition the court for review of the denial of probation after sixty (60) days have elapsed since a hearing denying release under this subsection (a). There shall be no appeal from a court order or judgment under this subsection (a). Upon denial of suspension of sentence the clerk of the court shall promptly notify the department.

     (7)  (A)  The court is authorized to revoke probation pursuant to the revocation proceedings of § 40-35-311. If the sentencing court revokes probation, the sentencing court may cause the defendant to commence the execution of the judgment as originally entered, less any credit for time served, plus any sentence credits earned and retained by the inmate. Any defendant whose probation has been revoked pursuant to this subsection (a) is not eligible for release on the same sentence pursuant to the terms of subdivision (a)(3).

          (B)  Nothing in subdivision (a)(7)(A) prohibits the sentencing court from:

                (i)  Suspending the original sentence at any time prior to its expiration, notwithstanding whether the offender is incarcerated in a local jail or a prison; or

                (ii)  Resentencing the defendant for the remainder of the unexpired sentence to any community-based alternative to incarceration authorized by chapter 36 of this title; provided, that the violation of probation is a technical one and does not involve the commission of a new offense.

(b)  Release eligibility for each defendant sentenced as an especially mitigated offender shall occur after service of either twenty percent (20%) or thirty percent (30%) of the actual sentence imposed, less sentence credits earned and retained by the defendant. The percentage of service shall be d on the judgment order. If the order is silent, release eligibility shall occur after service of twenty percent (20%) of the actual sentence imposed.

(c)  Release eligibility for each defendant sentenced as a Range I standard offender shall occur after service of thirty percent (30%) of the actual sentence imposed less sentence credits earned and retained by the defendant.

(d)  Release eligibility for each defendant sentenced as a Range II multiple offender shall occur after service of thirty-five percent (35%) of the actual sentence imposed less sentence credits earned and retained by the defendant.

(e)  Release eligibility for each defendant sentenced as a Range III persistent offender shall occur after service of forty-five percent (45%) of the actual sentence imposed less sentence credits earned and retained by the defendant.

(f)  Release eligibility for each defendant sentenced as a career offender shall occur after service of sixty percent (60%) of the actual sentence imposed less sentence credits earned and retained by the defendant.

(g)  There shall be no release eligibility for a defendant receiving a sentence of imprisonment for life without parole as a repeat violent offender.

(h)  (1)  Release eligibility for each defendant receiving a sentence of imprisonment for life for first degree murder shall occur after service of sixty percent (60%) of sixty (60) years less sentence credits earned and retained by the defendant, but in no event shall a defendant sentenced to imprisonment for life be eligible for parole until the defendant has served a minimum of twenty-five (25) full calendar years of the sentence, notwithstanding the governor's power to reduce prison overcrowding pursuant to title 41, chapter 1, part 5, or any sentence reduction credits authorized by § 41-21-236, or any other provision of law relating to sentence credits. A defendant receiving a sentence of imprisonment for life for first degree murder shall be entitled to earn and retain sentence credits, but the credits shall not operate to make the defendant eligible for release prior to the service of twenty-five (25) full calendar years.

     (2)  There shall be no release eligibility for a defendant receiving a sentence of imprisonment for life without possibility of parole for first degree murder.

(i)  (1)  There shall be no release eligibility for a person committing an offense, on or after July 1, 1995, that is enumerated in subdivision (i)(2). The person shall serve one hundred percent (100%) of the sentence imposed by the court less sentence credits earned and retained. However, no sentence reduction credits authorized by § 41-21-236, or any other provision of law, shall operate to reduce the sentence imposed by the court by more than fifteen percent (15%).

     (2)  The offenses to which subdivision (i)(1) applies are:

          (A)  Murder in the first degree;

          (B)  Murder in the second degree;

          (C)  Especially aggravated kidnapping;

          (D)  Aggravated kidnapping;

          (E)  Especially aggravated robbery;

          (F)  Aggravated rape;

          (G)  Rape;

          (H)  Aggravated sexual battery;

          (I)  Rape of a child;

          (J)  Aggravated arson;

          (K)  Aggravated child abuse;

          (L)  Aggravated rape of a child;

          (M)  Sexual exploitation of a minor involving more than one hundred (100) images;

          (N)  Aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor involving more than twenty-five (25) images; or

          (O)  Especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.

     (3)  Nothing in this subsection (i) shall be construed as affecting, amending or altering § 39-13-523, which requires child sexual predators, child rapists and multiple rapists to serve the entire sentence imposed by the court undiminished by any sentence reduction credits.

(j)  There shall be no release eligibility for a person committing a violation of § 39-17-1324(a) or (b) on or after January 1, 2008, until the person has served one hundred percent (100%) of the minimum mandatory sentence established in § 39-17-1324(a) or (b) and imposed by the court less sentence credits earned and retained. However, no sentence reduction credits authorized by § 41-21-236, or any other law, shall operate to reduce the mandatory minimum sentence imposed by the court by more than fifteen percent (15%).

(k)  (1)  There shall be no release eligibility for a person committing aggravated robbery, as defined in § 39-13-402, on or after January 1, 2008, if the person has at least one (1) prior conviction for aggravated robbery, as defined in § 39-13-402, or especially aggravated robbery, as defined in § 39-13-403. The person shall serve one hundred percent (100%) of the sentence imposed by the court less sentence credits earned and retained. However, no sentence reduction credits authorized by § 41-21-236, or any other provision of law, shall operate to reduce the sentence imposed by the court by more than fifteen percent (15%).

     (2)  (A)  “Prior conviction” means, for purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, that the person serves and is released or discharged from, or is serving, a separate period of incarceration or supervision for the commission of an aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery prior to or at the time of committing an aggravated robbery on or after January 1, 2008.

          (B)  “Prior conviction” includes convictions under the laws of any other state, government or country that, if committed in this state, would constitute the offense of aggravated robbery. If an offense involving a robbery accomplished by use of a firearm in a jurisdiction other than this state is not identified as aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery in this state, it shall be considered a prior conviction if the elements of the felony are the same as the elements for aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery.

     (3)  “Separate period of incarceration or supervision” includes a sentence to any of the sentencing alternatives set out in § 40-35-104(c)(3)-(9). An aggravated robbery shall be considered as having been committed after a separate period of incarceration or supervision if the aggravated robbery is committed while the person was:

          (A)  On probation, parole or community correction supervision for an aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery;

          (B)  Incarcerated for an aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery;

          (C)  Assigned to a program whereby the person enjoys the privilege of supervised release into the community, including, but not limited to, work release, educational release, restitution release or medical furlough for an aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery; or

          (D)  On escape status from any correctional institution when incarcerated for an aggravated robbery or especially aggravated robbery.

(l)  The release eligibility date provided for in this section is separately calculated for each offense for which a defendant is convicted. For consecutive sentences, the periods of ineligibility for release are calculated for each sentence and are added together to determine the release eligibility date for the consecutive sentences.

(m)  The release eligibility date provided for in this section is the earliest date an inmate convicted of a felony is eligible for parole; the date is conditioned on the inmate's good behavior while in prison. For a violation of any of the rules of the department of correction or institution in which the inmate is incarcerated or while on any release program other than parole, the commissioner or the commissioner's designees may defer the release eligibility date so as to increase the total amount of time an inmate must serve before becoming eligible for parole. This increase may, in the discretion of the commissioner, be in any amount of time not to exceed the full sentence originally imposed by the court, and shall be imposed pursuant to regulations promulgated by the commissioner that give notice of the length of discretionary increases that may be imposed for a violation of each of the rules of the department or institution.

(n)  (1)  The department of correction shall not certify an inmate for a parole grant hearing, other than an initial grant hearing, if, at the time the department of correction would otherwise have certified the inmate as eligible, the inmate is classified as close custody. The decertification shall continue for the duration of the classification, and for a period of one (1) year thereafter.

     (2)  The department of correction shall not certify an inmate for a parole grant hearing, other than an initial grant hearing, if, at the time the department of correction would otherwise have certified the inmate as eligible, the inmate is classified as maximum custody. The decertification shall continue for the duration of the classification, and for a period of two (2) years thereafter.

(o)  Extensions in the release eligibility date provided for in this section and in other sections of this chapter shall only be imposed following a hearing conducted in accordance with due process of law.

(p)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter relating to release eligibility, and when acting pursuant to the Tennessee Contract Sentencing Act of 1979, compiled in chapter 34 of this title, the department of correction is authorized to grant a prisoner parole as specified in a sentence agreement entered into by the prisoner and the department. In granting the parole, the department may impose any conditions and limitations that the department deems necessary.

(q)  Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary, the department is responsible for calculating the sentence expiration date and the release eligibility date of any felony offender sentenced to the department and any felony offender sentenced to confinement in a local jail or workhouse for one (1) or more years.

(r)  To assist the department in fulfilling the duty specified in subsection (o), the clerk of the court shall send a copy of each judgment document for a felony conviction to the department. These copies shall be forwarded to the department no less than one (1) time each month so that all judgments rendered in one (1) calendar month have been received by the department by the fifteenth day of the following month.

[Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 6; 1990, ch. 729, § 1; 1991, ch. 374, § 6; 1993, ch. 221, § 1; 1993, ch. 473, §§ 3, 9; 1994, ch. 994, § 4; 1995, ch. 492, § 1; 1998, ch. 743, §§ 3, 4; 1999, ch. 516, § 6; 2001, ch. 53, § 3; 2006, ch. 890, § 24; 2007, ch. 525, § 2; 2007, ch. 528, § 3; 2007, ch. 594, § 4; 2009, ch. 203, § 1.]  

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