How does the Commission determine if someone is eligible for Parole?
A criminal offender becomes eligible for parole according to the type of sentence received from the court. The “parole eligibility date” is the earliest time the offender might be paroled. If the Parole Commission decides to grant parole, it will set the date of release, but the date must be on or after the “eligibility” date. The process begins at sentencing. Unless the court has specified a minimum time for the offender to serve, or has imposed an “indeterminate” type of sentence, parole eligibility occurs upon completion of one-third of the term. If an offender is serving a life sentence or a term or terms of 30 years or more he or she will become eligible for parole after 10 years.
