Page 1 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 473
BY SENATOR MILLS
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 15:574.2(A)(3), (8), and (9)(a) and (b), and (C)(2)(b) and (c),2
relative to the committee on parole and rules of parole; to provide relative to3
education and experience requirements of board members; to provide relative to4
training requirements of the board; to provide for powers of ex officio board5
members; to provide relative to parole eligibility; and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R.S. 15:574.2(A)(3), (8), and (9)(a) and (b), and (C)(2)(b) and (c) are8
hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 9
ยง574.2. Committee on parole, Board of Pardons; membership; qualifications;10
vacancies; compensation; domicile; venue; meetings; quorum;11
panels; powers and duties; transfer of property to committee;12
representation of applicants before the committee; prohibitions13
A.(1) * * *14
* * *15
(3) Each Beginning with appointments made to the board, or16
appointments to fill a vacancy on the board, which occur after August 1, 2014,17
each member, except for the ex officio member, must have at least a bachelor's18
degree from an accredited college or university, and shall possess not less than19
five years actual experience in the field of penology, corrections, law enforcement,20
sociology, law, education, social work, medicine, psychology or psychiatry, or a21
combination thereof. If the member does not have at least a bachelor's degree22
from an accredited college or university, he or she must have no less than seven23
years experience in a field listed in this Paragraph. The provisions of this24 SB NO. 473 ENROLLED
Page 2 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Paragraph shall not apply to any person serving as a member of the board on August1
1, 2012.2
* * *3
(8) The warden, or in his absence the deputy warden, of the correctional4
facility in which the offender is incarcerated shall be an ex officio member of the5
committee. When the offender is housed in a local correctional facility and the6
warden, or deputy warden, of that facility is not able to attend the offender's parole7
hearing, the warden, or in his absence the deputy warden, of the facility where the8
offender's parole hearing is held may serve as an ex officio member. The ex officio9
member shall not be a voting member nor shall he be counted or permitted to be10
counted for purposes of the number of members necessary to take committee action11
or the number of members necessary to establish quorum. In all other respects, the12
ex officio member shall have the duties, authority, requirements, and benefits of any13
other committee member.14
(9)(a) Within ninety days of being appointed to the committee on parole, each15
voting member shall complete a comprehensive training course developed by the16
Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The training course shall be developed17
in compliance with guidelines from the National Institute of Corrections, the18
Association of Paroling Authorities International, or the American Probation19
and Parole Association using training components consistent with those offered by20
the National Institute of Corrections or the American Probation and Parole21
Association, and shall include classes regarding the following topics:22
(i) The elements of the decision making process, through the use of23
evidence-based practices for determining offender risk, needs, and motivation to24
change, including the actuarial assessment tool used by the parole agent.25
(ii) The security classifications as established by the department.26
(iii) The programming and disciplinary processes and the department's27
supervision, case planning, and violation process.28
(iv) The dynamics of criminal victimization.29
(v) Collaboration with corrections related stakeholders, both public and30 SB NO. 473 ENROLLED
Page 3 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
private, to increase offender success and public safety.1
(b) Each member shall complete a minimum of eight hours of training2
annually, which shall be provided for in the annual budget of the Department of3
Public Safety and Corrections. The annual training course shall be developed using4
the training components consistent with those offered by from the National Institute5
of Corrections, the Association of Paroling Authorities International, or6
American Probation and Parole Association. Training components shall include7
an emphasis on the following subjects and shall offer classes regarding the8
following topics:9
(i) A review and analysis of the effectiveness of the assessment tool used by10
the parole agents Data-driven decision making.11
(ii) A review of the department's progress toward public safety goals12
Evidence-based practices. As used in this Item, "evidence-based practices"13
means practices proven through research to reduce recidivism.14
(iii) The use of data in decision making Stakeholder collaboration.15
(iv) Any information regarding promising and evidence-based practices16
offered in the corrections related and crime victim dynamics field Recidivism17
reduction.18
* * *19
C.(1) * * *20
* * *21
(2) The committee may grant parole with two votes of a three-member panel,22
or, if the number exceeds a three-member panel, a majority vote of those present if23
all of the following conditions are met:24
* * *25
(b) The offender has not committed any major disciplinary offenses in the26
twelve consecutive months prior to the parole eligibility date. A major disciplinary27
offense is an offense identified as a Schedule B offense by the Department of28
Public Safety and Corrections in the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures of29
Adult Offenders.30 SB NO. 473 ENROLLED
Page 4 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
(c) The offender has completed the mandatory minimum of one hundred1
hours of pre-release programming in accordance with R.S. 15:827.1 if such2
programming is available at the facility where the offender is incarcerated.3
* * *
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: