46-23-201. Prisoners eligible for nonmedical parole -- rulemaking. (1) Subject to the restrictions contained in subsections (2) through (5) and when in the board's opinion there is reasonable probability that a prisoner can be released without detriment to the prisoner or to the community, 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 youth correctional facility;
     (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) A parole may be ordered under this section only for the best interests of society and not as an award of clemency or a reduction of sentence or pardon. A prisoner may be placed on parole only when the board believes that the prisoner is able and willing to fulfill the obligations of a law-abiding citizen.
     (6) If a hearing panel denies parole, it may order that the prisoner serve up to 6 years before a hearing panel conducts another hearing or review. The board shall adopt by administrative rule a process by which a prisoner may request an earlier hearing or review.

     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.