(a) Except as provided in subsection (d) or (e), when a person imprisoned for a felony completes the person's term of imprisonment, less the credit time the person has earned with respect to that term, the person shall be:

1. (1) released on parole for not more than twenty-four (24) months, as determined by the parole board, unless:

   1. (A) the person is being placed on parole for the first time;
   2. (B) the person is not being placed on parole following a term of imprisonment that includes a sentence imposed for a crime of violence (as defined in IC 35-31.5-2-79 );
   3. (C) the person is not a sex offender (as defined in IC 11-8-8-4.5 ); and
   4. (D) in the six (6) months before being placed on parole, the person has not violated a rule of the department of correction or a rule of the penal facility in which the person is imprisoned;
2. (2) discharged upon a finding by the committing court that the person was assigned to a community transition program and may be discharged without the requirement of parole; or

3. (3) released to the committing court if the sentence included a period of probation.

   A person described in subdivision (1) shall be released on parole for not more than twelve (12) months, as determined by the parole board.

(e) This subsection applies to a person who:

1. (1) is a sexually violent predator under IC 35-38-1-7.5 ;
2. (2) has been convicted of murder ( IC 35-42-1-1 ); or

3. (3) has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter ( IC 35-42-1-3 ).

   When a person described in this subsection completes the person's fixed term of imprisonment, less credit time earned with respect to that term, the person shall be placed on parole for the remainder of the person's life.

(f) This subsection applies to a parolee in another jurisdiction who is a person described in subsection (e) and whose parole supervision is transferred to Indiana from another jurisdiction. In accordance with IC 11-13-4-1 (2) (Interstate Compact for Out-of-State Probationers and Parolees) and rules adopted under Article VII (d)(8) of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision ( IC 11-13-4.5 ), a parolee who is a person described in subsection (e) and whose parole supervision is transferred to Indiana is subject to the same conditions of parole as a person described in subsection (e) who was convicted in Indiana, including:

1. (1) lifetime parole (as described in subsection (e)); and
2. (2) the requirement that the person wear a monitoring device (as described in IC 35-38-2.5-3 ) that can transmit information twenty-four (24) hours each day regarding a person's precise location, if applicable.

(g) If a person being supervised on lifetime parole as described in subsection (e) is also required to be supervised by a court, a probation department, a community corrections program, a community transition program, or another similar program upon the person's release from imprisonment, the parole board may:

1. (1) supervise the person while the person is being supervised by the other supervising agency; or

2. (2) permit the other supervising agency to exercise all or part of the parole board's supervisory responsibility during the period in which the other supervising agency is required to supervise the person, if supervision by the other supervising agency will be, in the opinion of the parole board:

   1. (A) at least as stringent; and

   2. (B) at least as effective;

      as supervision by the parole board.

(j) Time served while confined to a jail or prison does not count toward time served on parole.

As added by Acts 1976, P.L.148, SEC.8. Amended by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.132; Acts 1979, P.L.120, SEC.11; Acts 1981, P.L.298, SEC.7; P.L.240-1991(ss2), SEC.100; P.L.11-1994, SEC.18; P.L.273-1999, SEC.215; P.L.90-2000, SEC.20; P.L.238-2001, SEC.22; P.L.116-2002, SEC.26; P.L.139-2006, SEC.6; P.L.140-2006, SEC.38 and P.L.173-2006, SEC.38; P.L.1-2007, SEC.237; P.L.216-2007, SEC.51; P.L.105-2010, SEC.15; P.L.20-2023, SEC.1; P.L.85-2026, SEC.27.