Title 61, PRISONS AND PAROLE

(a) Quorum.-- (1) A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for transacting business and, except as otherwise provided in this chapter and Chapter 45 (relating to recidivism risk reduction incentive), a majority vote of those present at any meeting shall be sufficient for…

The Executive Board shall determine the salaries to be paid to the members of the board.

(a) General rule.--The members of the board shall not hold any other public office or employment nor engage in any business, profession or employment during their terms of service as members thereof and shall hold their offices during the terms for which they shall have been appo…

(a) General rule.--As soon as may be convenient after their appointment, the members of the board shall meet and organize. (b) Appointment of secretary of board.--The members of the board shall appoint a secretary, who shall: (1) Not be a member of the board. (2) Hold office at t…

The board shall adopt an official seal by which its acts and proceedings shall be authenticated and of which the courts shall take judicial notice. The certificate of the chairperson of the board, under the seal of the board and attested by the secretary, shall be accepted in evi…

The department shall provide offices for the board. The board shall appoint and employ such number and character of officers, agents, clerks, stenographers and employees as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The salaries of persons so appointed and employ…

2021 Repeal. Section 6119 was repealed June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, effective immediately.

2021 Repeal. Section 6120 was repealed June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, effective immediately.

2021 Repeal. Section 6121 was repealed June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, effective immediately.

(a) General rule.--No member of the board, or officer, clerk or employee thereof, or any person officially connected with the board: (1) Shall take any active part in politics or be a member of or delegate or alternate to any political convention or be present at such convention,…

2019 Repeal. Section 6123 was repealed November 27, 2019, P.L.667, No.92, effective in 60 days.

2021 Repeal. Section 6124 was repealed June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, effective immediately.

(a) General rule.--The board shall have the power and its duty shall be: (1) (Deleted by amendment). (2) To collect and maintain copies of all presentence investigations and reports. (3) (Deleted by amendment). (4) (Deleted by amendment). (5) (Deleted by amendment). (6) (Deleted …

(a) General rule.--The board shall have exclusive power: (1) (i) To parole and reparole, commit and recommit for violations of parole and to discharge from parole all persons sentenced by any court at any time to imprisonment in a State correctional institution pursuant to 42 Pa.…

2021 Repeal. Section 6133 was repealed June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, effective immediately.

The following shall apply: (1) A judge may make at any time a recommendation to the board respecting the offender sentenced and the term of imprisonment the judge believes that offender should be required to serve before parole is granted to that offender. (2) A recommendation ma…

(a) Guidelines.--The court may parole or reparole subject to consideration of guidelines established under 42 Pa.C.S. § 2154.5 (relating to adoption of guidelines for parole). (b) Report of decision to commission.--If a court paroles or reparoles an offender, the court shall repo…

(a) Duty to investigate.--The board, on the commitment to a correctional facility of any person whom the board is given the power to parole under this chapter, shall consider: (1) The nature and circumstances of the offense committed. (2) Any recommendations made by the trial jud…

All prison officials shall: (1) At all reasonable times grant access to any offender whom the board has power to parole to the members of the board or its properly accredited representatives. (2) At all reasonable times provide for the board or its properly accredited representat…

(a) General criteria for parole.-- (1) The board may parole subject to consideration of guidelines established under 42 Pa.C.S. § 2154.5 (relating to adoption of guidelines for parole) or subject to section 6137.1 (relating to short sentence parole) and such information developed…

(a) General rule.--This section applies to persons committed to the department with an aggregate minimum sentence of confinement under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9756(b) (relating to sentence of total confinement) of two years or less or a recidivism risk reduction incentive minimum sentence u…

(a) General rule.--This section applies to persons committed to the department with an aggregate minimum sentence of total confinement under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9756(b) (relating to sentence of total confinement) of 4 years or more. Regardless of the sentence imposed, this section does …

(a) Convicted violators.-- (1) The board may, at its discretion, revoke the parole of a paroled offender if the offender, during the period of parole or while delinquent on parole, commits a crime punishable by imprisonment, for which the offender is convicted or found guilty by …

(a) Specific requirements.-- (1) The board may, subject to the provisions and limitations set forth in section 6138 (relating to violation of terms of parole), grant parole on its own motion whenever in its judgment the interests of justice require the granting of parole. (2) The…

(a) Duty of district attorney to provide notice.-- (1) The victim of the offense for which an offender is sentenced shall be notified by the district attorney immediately following sentencing, in cases where the defendant has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment, that the vic…

The board may make general rules for the conduct and supervision of offenders and may, in particular cases, as it deems necessary to effectuate the purpose of parole, prescribe special regulations for particular persons. (June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, eff. imd.)

The board shall make an investigation for the Board of Pardons in cases coming before it and upon its request. The investigation shall include all information set forth under section 6135 (relating to investigation of circumstances of offense), including a risk assessment if the …

(a) Eligibility.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may parole an offender into the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation prior to the expiration of the offender's minimum term of imprisonment if all of the following …

(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish the Parolee Homicide Review Team, which shall examine circumstances surrounding those who have committed criminal homicide while under supervision by the board. (b) Powers and duties.--The department, in cooperation with the memb…

(a) Permanent members.--The Parolee Homicide Review Team shall consist of the following individuals or their designees: (1) The Secretary of Corrections, who shall chair the Parolee Homicide Review Team. (2) The chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. (3) The com…

(a) Maintenance.--Members of the Parolee Homicide Review Team shall maintain the confidentiality of any identifying information obtained relating to this section. (b) Agreement.--Each member of the Parolee Homicide Review Team shall sign a confidentiality agreement applicable to …

The department shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

(a) Powers and duties.--The department shall have the following powers and duties: (1) To first and foremost seek to protect the safety of the public, to supervise any offender released on parole by order of the board and to arrest, to detain in a department facility and to repor…

(a) Principal office.--The department shall provide offices for the board. The board shall appoint and employ such number and character of officers, agents, clerks, stenographers and employees as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The salaries of persons …

(a) Establishment.--Each district office shall have a district director who: (1) Shall be appointed by the department. (2) Shall receive such annual salary as the department shall determine in conformity with the rules of the Executive Board. (b) Status and role.--The district di…

(a) Department to appoint.--The department shall appoint in the various district offices a sufficient number of agents, clerks, stenographers and other employees to fully and efficiently administer the parole laws of this Commonwealth, but no employee of the department shall be a…

(a) General rule.--The department shall have exclusive power to supervise any offender placed on probation by any judge of a court having criminal jurisdiction when the court, by special order, consistent with the regulations of the department, directs supervision by the departme…

(a) Duty to investigate.--The department, upon the commitment to a correctional facility of any offender whom the board is given the power to parole, shall investigate and include in its report to the board: (1) The nature and circumstances of the offense committed. (2) Any recom…

All prison officials shall: (1) At all reasonable times grant to the properly accredited representatives of the department access to any detainee whom the board has power to parole. (2) At all reasonable times provide for the board or its properly accredited representative facili…

The department shall make an investigation for the Board of Pardons in cases coming before it and upon its request. The investigation shall include all information set forth under section 6135 (relating to investigation of circumstances of offense), including a risk assessment if…

An agent is declared to be a peace officer and is given police power and authority throughout this Commonwealth to arrest without warrant, writ, rule or process any department-supervised offender for failing to report as required or for any other violation of his conditions of su…

(a) General rule.--Agents are in a supervisory relationship with department-supervised offenders. The purpose of supervision is to assist department-supervised offenders in their rehabilitation and reassimilation into the community and to protect the public. Supervision practices…