H 3704 General Bill, By Whatley, Limehouse, Knotts, W. McLeod, Law, Leach, 
Tripp, Bailey, Barrett, H. Brown, Dantzler, Davenport, Gilham, Harrison, Hinson, 
Rodgers and Young-Brickell
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 24-21-650, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO A PAROLE ORDER, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT UPON A NEGATIVE
 DETERMINATION OF PAROLE, A PERSON CONFINED FOR COMMITTING A VIOLENT CRIME MUST
 HAVE HIS CASE REVIEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS INSTEAD OF TWO YEARS FOR THE PURPOSE
 OF A DETERMINATION OF PAROLE.

   03/10/99  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-9
   03/10/99  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-10

TO AMEND SECTION 24-21-650, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO A PAROLE ORDER, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT UPON A NEGATIVE DETERMINATION OF PAROLE, A PERSON CONFINED FOR COMMITTING A VIOLENT CRIME MUST HAVE HIS CASE REVIEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS INSTEAD OF TWO YEARS FOR THE PURPOSE OF A DETERMINATION OF PAROLE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 24-21-650 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 24-21-650. The board shall issue an order authorizing the parole which must be signed by at least a majority of its members with terms and conditions, if any, but at least two-thirds of the members of the board must sign orders authorizing parole for persons convicted of a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60. The director, or one lawfully acting for him, then must issue a parole order which, if accepted by the prisoner, provides for his release from custody. Upon a negative determination of parole, prisoners in confinement for a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60 must have their cases reviewed every two five years for the purpose of a determination of parole."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor, and applies retroactively to the scheduling of parole hearings for all prisoners in confinement for a violent crime.