Opinion ID: 1922750
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: If the special review board lacks the statutory authority to recommend the forfeiture of good time, is the action of the department forfeiting such good time valid?

Text: There is no doubt that under sec. 53.11(2a) of the 1967 statutes the department of health & social services could order the forfeiture of an individual's good time. The attorney general thus argues that it really does not matter who made the recommendation, just as long as the department made the ultimate decision. This overlooks the fact, documented in the department's order forfeiting the good time, that the secretary of the department did not order the good time forfeitedhe affirmed the decision of the special review board. This is no mere semantical difference. The department affirmed an order which was void. What the department did, in effect, was delegate the authority for forfeiting good time to the special review board. The review board, however, is not part of the departmentit is an independent body with a specific grant of authority. By delegating the authority to recommend a forfeiture of good time the department, therefore, also violated the requirement of sec. 53.11(2a), Stats., in that it placed the primary power to make the determination outside the department with the special review board; this is improper. [14] The recommendation of the special review board was invalid; the affirmance by the department was void and violative of the statute. There can be no other conclusion than that the two forfeitures of petitioner's good time by the department are void and illegal and therefore nullities. Although the two forfeitures of good time are nullities, this court is unable to compute petitioner's mandatory release date. This should be done by the department. It appears, for example, that petitioner absconded for a time and it is not clear how this affects his release eligibility. Moreover, petitioner has been found to be a sex deviate and the department may desire to apply to the committing court, pursuant to sec. 959.15(12), (13), and (14), Stats. 1967, to deny petitioner parole because he is dangerous.