The Florida Senate

947.174  Subsequent interviews.--

(1)(a)  For any inmate, except an inmate convicted of an offense enumerated in paragraph (b), whose presumptive parole release date falls more than 2 years after the date of the initial interview, a hearing examiner shall schedule an interview for review of the presumptive parole release date. Such interview shall take place within 2 years after the initial interview and every 2 years thereafter.

(b)  For any inmate convicted of murder, attempted murder, sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, or who has been sentenced to a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence previously provided in s. 775.082, and whose presumptive parole release date is more than 5 years after the date of the initial interview, a hearing examiner shall schedule an interview for review of the presumptive parole release date. Such interview shall take place once within 5 years after the initial interview and once every 5 years thereafter if the commission finds that it is not reasonable to expect that parole will be granted at a hearing during the following years and states the bases for the finding in writing. For any inmate who is within 7 years of his or her tentative release date, the commission may establish an interview date prior to the 5-year schedule.

(c)  Such interviews shall be limited to determining whether or not information has been gathered which might affect the presumptive parole release date. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to an inmate serving a concurrent sentence in another jurisdiction pursuant to s. 921.16(2).

(2)  The commission, for good cause, may at any time request that a hearing examiner conduct a subsequent hearing according to the procedures outlined in this section. Such request shall specify in writing the reasons for such review.

(3)  The department shall, within a reasonable amount of time, make available and bring to the attention of the commission such information as is deemed important to the review of the presumptive parole release date, including, but not limited to, current progress reports, psychological reports, and disciplinary reports.

(4)  The department or a hearing examiner may recommend that an inmate be placed in a work-release program prior to the last 18 months of her or his confinement before the presumptive parole release date. If the commission does not deny the recommendation within 30 days of the receipt of the recommendation, the inmate may be placed in such a program, and the department shall advise the commission of the fact prior to such placement.

(5)  For purposes of this section, the commission shall develop and make available to all inmates guidelines which:

(a)  Define what constitutes an unsatisfactory institutional record. In developing such guidelines, the commission shall consult with the department.

(b)  Define what constitutes a satisfactory release plan and what constitutes verification of the plan prior to placement on parole.

History.--s. 15, ch. 78-417; s. 9, ch. 79-42; s. 4, ch. 79-310; s. 6, ch. 81-322; s. 13, ch. 82-171; s. 34, ch. 83-131; s. 37, ch. 86-183; ss. 21, 67, ch. 88-122; s. 17, ch. 89-531; s. 20, ch. 90-337; s. 1, ch. 93-2; s. 1675, ch. 97-102; s. 2, ch. 97-289.