Opinion ID: 1756742
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Instruction regarding parole eligibility

Text: Omitting the section pertaining to deadly weapons, the trial court, using the Arkansas Model Jury Instructions: Criminal (2d ed.), instructed the jury on parole eligibility as follows: In your deliberations on the sentence to be imposed, you may consider the possibility that Jeffery Hill will be paroled. Eligibility for parole is as follows: If you sentence Jeffery Hill to imprisonment for a term of years, he will be eligible for parole after he serves one-third of the term you impose. This term of imprisonment may be reduced further to one-sixth of the period you impose if the defendant earns the maximum amount of meritorious good time during his imprisonment. Meritorious good time is time credit awarded for good behavior or for certain achievements while an inmate is confined to the Department of Correction or in a jail while awaiting transfer to one of those facilities. It is awarded an inmate on a monthly basis so that he receives up to one day for every day served, not to exceed thirty days per month. The first two paragraphs tracked the preamble and Section I of AMCI 2d 9403. The third paragraph largely followed the mandatory definition of meritorious good time in Section VII of AMCI 2d 9403. Ark.Code Ann. § 16-97-103(1) specifically states that evidence relevant to sentencing may include [t]he law applicable to parole, meritorious good time, or transfer. The Notes on Use to AMI Crim.2d 9403 state that [i]f the defendant has been convicted of an offense for which he can receive life imprisonment or a term of years, give both parts I and II of this instruction. This is exactly what the trial court did in this case. The Notes further state that [t]he definition of meritorious good time should be given in every case. Again, the trial court gave this definition. This model instruction on parole eligibility was drafted in line with Ark.Code Ann. § 16-93-607 (1987) and is intended to be employed by the trial court in order to provide clarity and truth in sentencing; accordingly, we find no error in the trial court's use of this model instruction.