RSA 651:20 · Incarceration Under Suspended Sentence

651:20 Incarceration Under Suspended Sentence. –
I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as provided in subparagraphs (a), (b), and (c), the sentence to imprisonment of any person may be suspended by the sentencing court at the time of imposition of the sentence or at any time thereafter in response to a petition to suspend sentence which is timely brought in accordance with the limitations set forth below in subparagraphs (a), (b), and (c).
(a) Any person sentenced to state prison for a minimum term of 6 years or more shall not bring a petition to suspend sentence until such person is within 12 months of serving 2/3 of the minimum sentence, and not more frequently than every 3 years thereafter. Any person sentenced to state prison for a minimum term of less than 6 years shall not bring a petition to suspend sentence until such person has served at least 2/3 of the minimum sentence, or the petition has been authorized by the sentencing court. For the purposes of this subparagraph:
(1) For concurrent terms of imprisonment, the minimum term shall be satisfied by serving the longest minimum term imposed, and the maximum term shall be satisfied by serving the longest maximum term.
(2) For consecutive terms of imprisonment, the minimum terms of each sentence shall be added to arrive at an aggregate minimum term, and the maximum terms of each sentence shall be added to arrive at an aggregate maximum term.
(b) A petition to suspend the sentence of any state prisoner may be brought at any time if, prior to the petition being filed, the commissioner of the department of corrections has found that the prisoner is a suitable candidate for suspension of sentence.
(c) A petition to suspend the sentence of any state prisoner may be brought at any time by the attorney general in recognition of substantial assistance by the inmate in the investigation or prosecution of a serious felony offense.
(d) Petitions filed which do not meet the criteria in (a), (b), or (c) above shall be dismissed without a hearing.
II. A person whose sentence has been suspended may be required to report to the institution to which he has been sentenced to be incarcerated during weekends or at such times or intervals of time as the court may direct, except that weekend sentence provisions do not apply to the New Hampshire state prison. Time so spent in said institution shall be deducted from the maximum term, and where there are both a minimum and maximum term, from both. Any part of a day spent in the institution shall count as a full day toward the sentence.
III. As a condition of any suspension of sentence, the court may include restitution to the victim, as provided in RSA 651:62-67, performance of uncompensated public service as provided in RSA 651:68-70, and such other conditions as the court may determine.
Source. 1971, 518:1. 1979, 407:3. 1981, 516:1. 1982, 36:3. 1990, 266:3. 1992, 254:13. 1994, 129:1; 192:5. 1996, 286:5. 2008, 114:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009. 2021, 206:2, Pt. III, Sec. 1, eff. Oct. 9, 2021.