Definitions

Administrative Decision - an action by the Board on an inmate/parolee that is undertaken without the offender being present such as addition of special conditions for a parolee already in the community.

Administrative Review - the informal administrative process of considering the conduct and progress of an inmate/prisoner to determine if a reappearance or parole is appropriate.

Alpha - the pre-release center located in Billings, Montana, which houses male offenders.

Annual/Biennial Review Cases - offenders previously seen and heard by the Board whose cases are scheduled for an administrative progress review either yearly or biennially.

Board - the Board of Pardons and Parole as authorized in 2-15-2302 and 46-23-104, MCA.

Butte Pre-Release Center - the pre-release center in Butte, Montana, housing both men and women offenders, abbreviated-BPRC.

Capital Offense - an offense for which the District Court imposed the death penalty.

Case Continued - If the Board determines that it has insufficient information with which to hold a hearing or has any other compelling reason, the Board may continue a case at its discretion. The inmate generally will be scheduled for the next available hearing time.

Commencement of Sentence - to begin service of a consecutive sentence which was imposed after reception and for crimes committed in prison or while on parole, furlough, or supervised release without the granting of parole, for parole eligibility purposes only.

Commutation - the mitigation of a criminal punishment through the substitution of a lesser sentence for a greater one.

Concurrent Sentence - at least two terms are running at the same time for parole eligibility.

Conditional Release - the release to the community of an inmate under the auspices of the Department of Corrections and subject to their rules. This release is not parole release. These inmates will no longer remain eligible for parole consideration during their release. Should a Conditional Release inmate violate the conditions of his/her release and be designated to the MSP/MWP, they would then become eligible for parole when prison records advises the minimum time has been served on their sentence.

Connections Corrections Program (CCP) - a 60 day residential chemical dependency treatment program for male offenders, with two locations, in Butte and Warm Springs, Montana.

Consecutive Sentence -  If an inmate has appeared before the parole board for any action on one sentence and then is convicted of another consecutive felony the Board may allow service of that parole eligibility term at any time, this is reffered to as commencement of a consecutive term for parole eligibility purposes only.

Controlling Sentence - the sentence(s) that, based on a District Court Judgment, requires the longest period of time served to parole eligibility.

Crossroad Correctional Center (CCC) - the privately run prison in Shelby, Montana, designed to hold 664 adult male offenders, abbreviated-CCC.

Dead Time - the time from the issuing of the warrant to the date of the prisoner's return to the custody of Montana law enforcement, the department, or the department's agent and the determination whether this time should be counted as time under this term. This also includes time served in another state for a crime committed while on parole.

Dawson County Correctional Facility - the regional prison in Glendive, Montana, which holds both county jail offenders and prison inmates.

Day Reporting - service that is provided by the Department or a contractor to provide enhanced supervision that may include daily contact with assigned staff, BA/UA testing, and/or employment and counseling services.

Department - the Department of Corrections as authorized in 2-15-230, MCA.

Discharge Balance Suspended - an offender has completed the incarceration portion of their sentence, however has a probationary term to follow.

Elkhorn - the methamphetamine treatment program for female offenders in Boulder, Montana.

Enhanced Supervision Program (ESP) - a program that is developed by the Department and provided by private contractors to provide enhanced supervision and services for offenders within the Probation and Parole Bureau.

Executive Clemency - Reviewing requests for executive clemency, (including pardon; commutation; respite; or remission of fines or forfeitures), and making recommendations to the Governor. Montana Constitution vests sole authority to grant/deny clemency in the Governor. The Governor authority to review the Board’s clemency recommendations and make a final, binding determination.

Extended Review - those offenders the Board has determined to be more appropriately reviewed over a longer period of time than annually/biennially.

Flat Discharge - an offender has complete his/her sentence or term and does not have a probation term to follow their incarceration.

Gallatin County Pre-release Center - the pre-release center in Bozeman, Montana, which houses male offenders.

Great Falls Transition Center - the pre-release center in Great Falls, Montana, housing both men and women offenders, abbreviated-GFTC.

Hearing - the personal appearance of an inmate before the Board for release consideration, Executive Clemency, or revocation.

Hearing Officer - the appointment of a Board Member, Board staff, or other paroling authority for purposes of conducting a hearing.

Helena Pre-Release Center - the pre-release center located in Helena, Montana, abbreviated-HPRC.

Initial appearance - An inmate who have been certified by prison records to have served the minimum time necessary to be eligible for parole consideration on a term of imprisonment as directed by a District Court Judge.

Inmate/Prisoner/Offender - any person sentenced by a State District Court to a term of confinement in a State correctional institution or program.

Ineligible - The inmate has not completed court ordered treatment or satisfied restrictions imposed by the Court. In these cases, the inmate is not parole eligible until such programming or restrictions have been satisfied, rendering the inmate ineligible for a parole hearing. The inmate will also be ineligible if he/she does not have 120 days clear conduct. This applies to all inmates initially received at a facility.

Intensive Challenge Program (ICP) - the "bootcamp" like program for women offenders' at the Montana Women's Prison. It is from 3-6 months in duration, usually followed by an Aftercare program.

Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) - administered by the Department including the use of electronic monitoring. This program is available in Missoula, Billings, Great Falls, Butte, and Bozeman.

Liberty Interest - the offender committed the crime prior to March 20, 1989.

Medical Parole Hearing - Except for an inmate under sentence of death or of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a hearing panel may release an offender on medical parole in accordance with 46-23-210 Montana Code Annotated. The diagnosis must be reviewed and accepted by the Montana Department of Corrections medical director or designee before a hearing panel may hear the case for medical parole.

Missoula Assessment and Sanction Center (MASC) - formerly the Missoula Regional Prison. This center will assess DOC commitments to determine appropriate placement, according to the DOC. It may also be used to house offenders as a sanction center.

Missoula Life Skills Center - the pre-release center in Missoula, Montana, housing both men and women offenders, abbreviated-MLSC.

Montana State Prison (MSP) - located in Deer Lodge, Montana and houses approximately 1,560 inmates, who are classified into one of eight custody levels.

Montana Women's Prison (MWP) - located in Billings, Montana and houses approximately 210 adult female offenders.

Nexus - the methamphetamine treatment program for male offenders in Lewistown, Montana.

Passages - the women's pre-release and treatment center in Billings, Montana.

Pardon - a declaration of record that an individual is to be relieved of all legal consequences of a prior conviction.

Parole - the release of an inmate into the community prior to the completion of a sentence subject to the orders and conditions of the Board and the supervision of the Department.

Parole Eligibility - the earliest possible date a person may be released from confinement to parole supervision.

Parole Revocation Hearing - an action by the Board that officially Revokes a previously granted parole after a finding of guilty to violating the conditions of release (prior to 2018, the Board revocations hearings were reflected as initial and/or reappearance type hearings).

Parole Violator at Large - an offender released on parole who has allegedly violated the terms and conditions of their parole by failing to report for which a warrant of arrest has been issued.

Parole upon completion - an offender must complete some form of programming, such as chemical dependency or pre-release, and would receive their parole when the Board receives confirmation of completion of the programming.

Passed to Discharge - an offender/inmate has been reviewed and his case has been continued until his/her term is completed.

Probation - the suspension or deferral of a prison or Department commitment by the District Court. The District Court retains jurisdiction and the offender is placed under community supervision subject to the conditions imposed by the court.

Reappearance - An inmate previously seen by the Board after an initial appearance hearing and is still in custody.

Rescission - An action of the Board that annuls or voids a prior disposition granting parole. Examples include poor institutional conduct after parole hearing; Not accepted not a community treatment program; not accepted into a Pre-Release Center.

Request a return - an offender is generally advised to complete some type of programming, such as chemical dependency, sex offender, CPR, pre-release, and upon completion, the offender may request a return to the Board for parole consideration.

Review - the informal administrative process of considering the conduct and progress of an inmate/prisoner to determine if a reappearance or parole is appropriate.

Revocation - an action by the Board that officially removes a previously granted parole after a finding of guilty to violating the conditions of release.

Rules - the conditions, limitations, and restrictions upon which parole is subject.

Sanction, Treatment, Assessment, Revocation, & Transition Center (START) - a highly structured, intensive treatment modality designed to return offenders to community placement in an effort to divert prison placements.

Sentence - the penalty imposed by a particular District Court for a specific felony offense.

Term - the total period of time for which an inmate was ordered to serve in a State correctional institution or program.

Victim - a person who suffers loss of property, bodily injury, or death as a result of: the commission of an offense; the good faith effort to prevent the commission of an offense; the good faith effort to apprehend a person reasonably suspected of committing an offense; the estate of the deceased or incapacitated victim or a member of the immediate family of a homicide victim; a governmental entity that suffers loss of property as a result of the commission of an offense in this state; or an insurer or surety with a right of subrogation to the extent it has reimbursed the victim of the offense for pecuniary loss. A victim does not include a person who is accountable for the crime arising from the same transaction.

Waiver - If an inmate is not interested in paroling or is not ready to see the Board (examples include programing not completed, no parole plan, or application is not ready), a waiver is sent from the case manager or inmate with an explanation to the Board. During Pre-parole school, institutional staff will identify the aforementioned.    

Warm Springs Addictions, Treatment, & Change Program (WATCh) - a six month intensive cognitive/behavioral-based addictions treatment community for 4th or subsequent DUI offenders, with two locations, in Butte and Warm Springs, Montana.

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