Frequently Asked Questions

The board is composed of nine (9) members total. Three (3) members are appointed by the governor, three (3) by the speaker of the senate, and three (3) by the speaker of the house of representatives. Each appointing authority appoints one (1) member from each grand divison of the state and chooses the board members based on a careful selection process that gives preference to training, education, and/or experience in the criminal justice system, law, corrections, behavioral science, or mental health. 

In making their initial appointments, the speaker of the senate shall appointed (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2028; one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2027; and one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2026. The speaker of the house of representatives appointed one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2028; one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2027; and one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2026. The governor appointed one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2028; one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2027; and one (1) member to a term expiring on January 1, 2026. Thereafter, all members shall serve six-year terms and are eligible for reappointment.

Sentence credits are a way of rewarding prisoners for good institutional behavior and successful program participation. Sentence credits reduce the number of days a prisoner must remain incarcerated which results in the prisoner being released sooner than the date imposed by the judge at the time of conviction.

Sentence credits are limited by law in the Department of Correction’s 14 prisons to either 6 or 8 days per month for behavior and either 6 or 8 days per month for program participation depending upon the security status assigned to the prisoner.  

The Board has the responsibility to review sentence credits that have been awarded by the Department of Correction to individual prisoners to determine if the sentence credits are justified by the prisoner’s conduct while incarcerated.  

No.  The Board has no authority to add time to the sentence imposed by the judge at the time of conviction.