S 0055 General Bill, By M.T. Rose
 A Bill to amend Section 24-21-640, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to the authority of the Board of Probation, Parole, and Pardon
 Services to grant parole, so as to provide that parole may not be granted for
 persons convicted of violent crimes.

   09/10/90  Senate Prefiled
   09/10/90  Senate Referred to Committee on Corrections and Penology
   01/08/91  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-39
   01/08/91  Senate Referred to Committee on Corrections and Penology SJ-40

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 24-21-640, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF PROBATION, PAROLE, AND PARDON SERVICES TO GRANT PAROLE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PAROLE MAY NOT BE GRANTED FOR PERSONS CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 24-21-640 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 24-21-640. The Board shall carefully consider the record of the prisoner before and after imprisonment, and no such prisoner may be paroled until it shall appear appears to the satisfaction of the board: that:

(1) the prisoner has shown a disposition to reform;

(2) that, in the future he will probably obey the law and lead a correct life;

(3) that by his conduct he has merited a lessening of the rigors of his imprisonment;

(4) that the interests of society will not be impaired thereby by his parole; and, that

(5) suitable employment has been secured for him.

The board shall establish written, specific criteria for the granting of parole and provisional parole. This criteria shall reflect all of the aspects of this section. The criteria must be made available to all prisoners at the time of their incarceration and the general public. The paroled prisoner shall, as often as may be required, render a written report to the board giving that information as may be required by the board which must be confirmed by the person in whose employment the prisoner may be at the time. The board shall not grant parole nor is parole authorized to any prisoner serving a sentence for a second or subsequent conviction, following a separate sentencing for a prior conviction, for a violent crimes crime as defined in Section 16-1-60. Provided that where more than one included offense shall be committed within a one-day period or pursuant to one continuous course of conduct, such multiple offenses shall be treated for purposes of this section as one offense."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.