Opinion ID: 1532415
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Mandamus Duty of Department

Text: It is beyond cavil that the Department has a duty to credit McCray, as well as all inmates, for all statutorily mandated periods of incarceration. Martin v. Pennsylvania Bd. of Probation & Parole, 576 Pa. 588, 840 A.2d 299 (2003). However, this does not end the matter. The Department is an executive branch agency that is charged with faithfully implementing sentences imposed by the courts. As part of the executive branch, the Department lacks the power to adjudicate the legality of a sentence or to add or delete sentencing conditions. Reviewing the sentence imposed by the trial court reveals that the Department has computed McCray's maximum release date in accordance with the sentencing order of the trial court. The sentence imposed by the trial court upon probation revocation, does not indicate that McCray is to receive credit for time served. (R.R. at 15 (Bill 1), 23 (Bill 9), 24 (Bill 10), and 33 (Bill 19)). Accordingly, the Department did not have a duty to credit McCray for the time previously served because the probation revocation judge did not order credit for time served and the Department is without authority to alter sentencing conditions.