Mont. Code Ann. § 46-23-201
Prisoners eligible for nonmedical parole
En. Sec. 12, Ch. 153, L. 1955; Sec. 94-9832, R.C.M. 1947; redes. 95-3214 by Sec. 29, Ch. 513, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 86, Ch. 120, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 312, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 60, Ch. 184, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 340, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 580, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 95-3214(1), (2); amd. Secs. 1, 2, Ch. 235, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 451, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 188, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 248, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 262, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 315, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 519, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 68, Ch. 10, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 372, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 482, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 227, Ch. 546, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 189, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 491, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 559, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 102, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 176, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 209, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 198, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 392, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 26, Ch. 339, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 200, L. 2023.
(1) Subject to the restrictions contained in subsections (2) through (4) and the parole criteria in 46-23-208, the board may release on nonmedical parole by appropriate order any person who is:
- (a) confined in a state prison;
- (b) sentenced to the state prison and confined in a prerelease center;
- (c) sentenced to prison as an adult pursuant to 41-5-206 and confined in a correctional facility as defined in 41-5-103;
- (d) sentenced to be committed to the custody of the director of the department of public health and human services as provided in 46-14-312 and confined in the Montana state hospital, the Montana developmental center, or the Montana mental health nursing care center.
- (2) Persons under sentence of death, persons sentenced to the department who have been placed by the department in a state prison temporarily for assessment or sanctioning, and persons serving sentences imposed under 46-18-202(2) or 46-18-219 may not be granted a nonmedical parole.
- (3) A prisoner serving a time sentence may not be paroled under this section until the prisoner has served at least one-fourth of the prisoner's full term.
- (4) A prisoner serving a life sentence may not be paroled under this section until the prisoner has served 30 years.
- (5) If a hearing panel denies parole, it may order that the prisoner serve up to 6 years if the prisoner is confined for a sexual or violent offense, as defined in 46-23-502, or up to 1 year if the prisoner is confined for any other offense before a hearing panel conducts another hearing or review.
- (6) Nothing in this section prohibits the department from transferring a prisoner who is within 14 months of parole eligibility to a prerelease or treatment center for the purposes of preparing the prisoner for release into the community.
History: En. Sec. 12, Ch. 153, L. 1955; Sec. 94-9832, R.C.M. 1947; redes. 95-3214 by Sec. 29, Ch. 513, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 86, Ch. 120, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 312, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 60, Ch. 184, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 340, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 580, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 95-3214(1), (2); amd. Secs. 1, 2, Ch. 235, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 451, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 188, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 248, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 262, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 315, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 519, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 68, Ch. 10, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 372, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 482, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 227, Ch. 546, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 189, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 491, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 559, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 102, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 176, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 209, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 198, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 392, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 26, Ch. 339, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 200, L. 2023.