RSA 651-A:3 · Adult Parole Board; Establishment; Procedures

651-A:3 Adult Parole Board; Establishment; Procedures. –

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I.

There shall be an adult parole board with members as set forth in paragraph II. The members of the board shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the council for staggered terms of 5 years or until their successors are appointed. No member shall serve more than 2 consecutive terms. A vacancy on the board shall be filled for the unexpired term. The chairperson of the adult parole board may appoint a member who previously served on the adult parole board whose term has expired to sit on a hearing panel when illness, conflict of interest, or unavailability result in only 2 members being available for a scheduled hearing. The compensation for such member appointed shall be $300 per day.

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II.

The composition of the board shall be as follows:

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(a)

Two attorneys who are members of the New Hampshire bar in good standing and who are in active status.

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(b)

Three additional members, to include:

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(1)

One member with law enforcement or corrections experience, either current or former.

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(2)

One member with criminal justice experience, which may be direct employment experience, current or former, in some capacity within the criminal justice system, or postsecondary school teaching, scholarship, and research pertaining to the criminal justice system.

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(3)

One at-large member without any categorical designation.

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III.

The governor shall designate one member as chairperson. The salary of the chairperson shall be that established in RSA 94:1-a as grade GG, with appropriate step to be determined in accordance the provisions of RSA 94:1-d. The chairperson shall designate one other member to serve as vice chairperson who shall serve as chairperson in the chairperson's absence. The vice chairperson shall receive an annual stipend of $40,000 to be paid in equal installments on each state employee pay period date. In the case of a revocation hearing an attorney of the board shall be present at the hearing. Board members, except for the chairperson and the vice chairperson, shall be paid an annual stipend of $30,000, to be paid in equal installments on each state employee pay period date. Board members shall be paid mileage at the state employee rate while engaged in parole hearings or administrative meetings.

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IV.

The board shall hold at least 36 days of parole hearings and 36 days of parole revocation hearings each year and may hold more hearings as necessary. Each parole and parole revocation hearing shall be held by a hearing panel consisting of exactly 3 members of the board. The board shall establish operating procedures which provide for rotation of board members among hearing panels.

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V.

In the event of a pandemic or other extraordinary occurrence declared an emergency by the governor that results in restricted movement or quarantining of inmates at any New Hampshire state prison facility, the parole board may conduct all hearings via teleconference or other video conference technology. Source. 1983, 461:16. 1994, 305:2. 1995, 257:3. 2015, 194:1, eff. July 1, 2015. 2021, 91:126, eff. July 1, 2021. 2022, 260:2, eff. June 24, 2022. 2023, 134:1, 2, eff. June 30, 2023.

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