Michigan has indeterminate sentencing. This means that most offenders are sentenced to prison with a minimum and maximum term of years; for example, two years to five years. The Parole Board obtains jurisdiction on the case after the prisoner has served the minimum sentence, which occurs at the earliest release date. The Parole Board may parole the offender at that time if the Board has a reasonable assurance the prisoner no longer poses a risk to the public. If the Parole Board does not parole the prisoner during their sentence, the prisoner will discharge from prison upon serving the maximum sentence. This date is called the Maximum Discharge. Both dates are published on OTIS because both dates are very important to the prisoner's sentence. A prisoner may be paroled at any time between the minimum and maximum dates.
The Parole Board does not gain jurisdiction over the prisoner until they reach their earliest release date. A prisoner's earliest release date is calculated based on the Judgment of Sentence document submitted by the court.