Eligible Pennsylvania prisoners would earn education credit toward earlier parole

Eligible prisoners would earn credit for completing education, job training, and required prison programs. Prisoners must be under Pennsylvania Department of Corrections supervision and sentenced on or after the credit provision takes effect. Listed convictions, including murder, certain human trafficking crimes, and certain sexual offenses, would exclude prisoners. The listed mandatory prison sentences would also exclude them. Credit amounts would be up to 90 days for job training, 90 days for required programs, 120 days for a high school diploma or equivalent, up to 90 days for a college course, and 180 days for a college degree. The act would take effect one year after enactment.

The parole board would use earned credit to calculate earlier parole dates and related notice deadlines. These rules would cover prisoners with earned credit, including those who separately qualify for special parole programs. General parole would depend on the board's decision. Credit alone would not guarantee release. People eligible for short sentence parole would receive approval without an interview at the applicable credit-adjusted date. Release through the program aimed at reducing repeat offenses would depend on eligibility, required board findings, and the process for court or prosecutor objections. In that program, the board would give courts and prosecutors eligibility notice at least six months before the earlier credit-adjusted date. Prison officials would give prompt notice when the minimum sentence ends within six months of admission. These provisions would take effect one year after enactment. After a court or prosecutor objects, the board must give its eligibility decision at least 30 days before the earlier parole date.

Occupational licensing boards would consider earned credit when reviewing rehabilitation and subtract it from a covered waiting period. This would cover applicants whose criminal records licensing boards review. The waiting-period rule applies to formerly imprisoned applicants convicted of a crime legally defined as violent. Applicants would still need to meet the other licensing requirements. A parole violation would pause the three-year waiting period. These provisions would take effect one year after enactment. The waiting period would be shortened by the amount of earned credit.