Opinion ID: 612705
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Parole Act

Text: In 1976, Congress passed the Parole Commission and Reorganization Act (Parole Act). Pub.L. No. 94-233, § 2, 90 Stat. 219 (1976) (formerly codified as 18 U.S.C. §§ 4201-4218) (repealed 1984; see 18 U.S.C. §§ 4201-4218 note concerning effective date of repeal). [1] The purpose of the Parole Act was neither to encourage or discourage the parole of any prisoner; rather, the purpose was to assure the public and imprisoned inmates that parole decisions are openly reached by a fair and reasonable process after due consideration has been given the salient information. S.Rep. No. 94-648, at 20 (1976) (Conf. Rep.). To achieve this purpose, the Parole Act made the Parole Commission independent of the Department of Justice for decision-making purposes. Id.; see also 18 U.S.C. § 4202 (establishing the Parole Commission as an independent agency in the Department of Justice). The Parole Act also established clear standards as to the process and the safeguards incorporated into it to insure fair consideration of all relevant material, including that offered by the prisoner. S.Rep. No. 94-648, at 21. Under the Parole Act, an inmate serving a life sentence, like Bowers, is eligible for release on discretionary parole after serving ten years. See 18 U.S.C. § 4205(a). If parole is not granted at this 10-year mark, the inmate is provided subsequent parole proceedings (Statutory Interim Hearings) every 24 months. See 18 U.S.C. § 4208(h)(2); 28 C.F.R. § 2.14 (2005). [2]