(a)Except as provided in subsection (b), the Prisoner Review Board shall, no later than 7 days following a prisoner's next parole hearing after the effective date of this Amendatory Act of 1977, provide each prisoner sentenced under the law in effect prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1977, with a fixed release date.
(b)No release date under this Section shall be set for any person sentenced to an indeterminate sentence under the law in effect prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1977 in which the minimum term of such sentence is 20 years or more.
(c)The Prisoner Review Board shall notify each eligible offender of his or her release date in a form substantially as follows: Date of Notice "To (Name of offender): Under a recent change in the law you are
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(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the Prisoner Review Board shall, no later than 7 days following a prisoner's next parole hearing after the effective date of this Amendatory Act of 1977, provide each prisoner sentenced under the law in effect prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1977, with a fixed release date. (b) No release date under this Section shall be set for any person sentenced to an indeterminate sentence under the law in effect prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1977 in which the minimum term of such sentence is 20 years or more. (c) The Prisoner Review Board shall notify each eligible offender of his or her release date in a form substantially as follows: Date of Notice "To (Name of offender): Under a recent change in the law you are provided with this choice: (1) You may remain under your present indeterminate sentence and continue to be eligible for parole; or (2) you may waive your right to parole and accept the release date which has been set for you. From this release date will be deducted any good conduct credit you may earn. If you accept the release date established by the Board, you will no longer be eligible for parole. Your release date from prison has been set for: (release date) ........ , subject to a term of mandatory supervised release as provided by law. If you accumulate the maximum amount of good conduct credit as allowed by law recently enacted, you can be released on: ........ , subject to a term of mandatory supervised release as provided by law. Should you choose not to accept the release date, your next parole hearing will be: ........ . The Board has based its determination of your release date on the following: (1) The material that normally would be examined in connection with your parole hearing, as set forth in paragraph (d) of Section 3-3-4 of the Unified Code of Corrections: (2) the intent of the court in imposing sentence on you; (3) the present schedule of sentences for similar offenses provided by Articles 4.5 and 5 of Chapter V of the Unified Code of Corrections, as amended; (4) the factors in mitigation and aggravation provided by Sections 5-5-3.1 and 5-5-3.2 of the Unified Code of Corrections, as amended; (5) The rate of accumulating good conduct credits provided by Section 3-6-3 of the Unified Code of Corrections, as amended; (6) your behavior since commitment. You now have 60 days in which to decide whether to remain under your indeterminate sentence and continue to be eligible for parole or waive your right to parole and accept the release date established for you by the Board. If you do nothing within 60 days, you will remain under the parole system. If you accept the release date, you may accumulate good conduct credit at the maximum rate provided under the law recently enacted. If you feel that the release date set for you is unfair or is not based on complete information required to be considered by the Board, you may request that the Board reconsider the date. In your request you must set forth specific reasons why you feel the Board's release date is unfair and you may submit relevant material in support of your request. The Department of Corrections is obligated to assist you in that effort, if you ask it to do so. The Board will notify you within 60 days whether or not it will reconsider its decision. The Board's decision with respect to reconsidering your release date is final and cannot be appealed to any court. If the Board decides not to reconsider your case you will have 60 days in which to decide whether to accept the release date and waive your right to parole or to continue under the parole system. If you do nothing within 60 days after you receive notification of the Board's decision you will remain under the parole system. If the Board decides to reconsider its decision with respect to your release date, the Board will schedule a date for reconsideration as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days from the date it receives your request, and give you at least 30 days notice. You may submit material to the Board which you believe will be helpful in deciding a proper date for your release. The Department of Corrections is obligated to assist you in that effort, if you ask it to do so. Neither you nor your lawyer has the right to be present on the date of reconsideration, nor the right to call witnesses. However, the Board may ask you or your lawyer to appear or may ask to hear witnesses. The Board will base its determination on the same data on which it made its earlier determination, plus any new information which may be available to it. When the Board has made its decision you will be informed of the release date. In no event will it be longer than the release date originally determined. From this date you may continue to accumulate good conduct credits at the maximum rate. You will not be able to appeal the Board's decision to a court. Following the Board's reconsideration and upon being notified of your release date you will have 60 days in which to decide whether to accept the release date and waive your right to parole or to continue under the parole system. If you do nothing within 60 days after notification of the Board's decision you will remain under the parole system." (d) The Board shall provide each eligible offender with a form substantially as follows: "I (name of offender) am fully aware of my right to choose between parole eligibility and a fixed release date. I know that if I accept the release date established, I will give up my right to seek parole. I have read and understood the Prisoner Review Board's letter, and I know how and under what circumstances the Board has set my release date. I know that I will be released on that date and will be released earlier if I accumulate good conduct credit. I know that the date set by the Board is final, and can't be appealed to a court. Fully aware of all the implications, I expressly and knowingly waive my right to seek parole and accept the release date as established by the Prisoner Review Board." (e) The Board shall use the following information and standards in establishing a release date for each eligible offender who requests that a date be set: (1) Such information as would be considered in a parole hearing under Section 3-3-4 of this Code; (2) The intent of the court in imposing the offender's sentence; (3) The present schedule for similar offenses provided by Articles 4.5 and 5 of Chapter V of this Code; (4) Factors in aggravation and mitigation of sentence as provided in Sections 5-5-3.1 and 5-5-3.2 of this Code; (5) The rate of accumulating good conduct credits provided by Section 3-6-3 of this Code; (6) The offender's behavior since commitment to the Department. (f) After the release date is set by the Board, the offender can accumulate good conduct credits in accordance with Section 3-6-3 of this Code. (g) The release date established by the Board shall not be sooner than the earliest date that the offender would have been eligible for release under the sentence imposed on him by the court, less time credit previously earned for good behavior, nor shall it be later than the latest date at which the offender would have been eligible for release under such sentence, less time credit previously earned for good behavior. (h) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b), each prisoner appearing at his next parole hearing subsequent to the effective date of the amendatory Act of 1977, shall be notified within 7 days of the hearing that he will either be released on parole or that a release date has been set by the Board. The notice and waiver form provided for in subsections (c) and (d) shall be presented to eligible prisoners no later than 7 days following their parole hearing. A written statement of the basis for the decision with regard to the release date set shall be given to such prisoners no later than 14 days following the parole hearing. (2) Each prisoner upon notification of his release date shall have 60 days to choose whether to remain under the parole system or to accept the release date established by the Board. No release date shall be effective unless the prisoner waives his right to parole in writing. If no choice is made by such prisoner within 60 days from the date of his notification of a release date, such prisoner shall remain under the parole system. (3) Within the 60 day period as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a prisoner may request that the Board reconsider its decision with regard to such prisoner's release date. No later than 60 days following receipt of such request for reconsideration, the Board shall notify the prisoner as to whether or not it will reconsider such prisoner's release date. No court shall have jurisdiction to review the Board's decision. No prisoner shall be entitled to more than one request for reconsideration of his release date. (A) If the Board decides not to reconsider the release date, the prisoner shall have 60 days to choose whether to remain under the parole system or to accept the release date established by the Board. No release date shall be effective unless the prisoner waives his right to parole in writing. If no choice is made by such prisoner within 60 days from the date of the notification by the Board refusing to reconsider his release date, such prisoner shall remain under the parole system. (B) If the Board decides to reconsider its decision with respect to such release date, the Board shall schedule a date for reconsideration as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days from the date of the prisoner's request, and give such prisoner at least 30 days notice. Such prisoner may submit any relevant material to the Board which would aid in ascertaining a proper release date. The Department of Corrections shall assist any such prisoner if asked to do so. Neither the prisoner nor his lawyer has the right to be present on the date of reconsideration, nor the right to call witnesses. However, the Board may ask such prisoner or his or her lawyer to appear or may ask to hear witnesses. The Board shall base its determination on the factors specified in subsection (e), plus any new information which may be available to it. (C) When the Board has made its decision, the prisoner shall be informed of the release date as provided for in subsection (c) no later than 7 days following the reconsideration. In no event shall such release date be longer than the release date originally determined. The decision of the Board is final. No court shall have jurisdiction to review the Board's decision. Following the Board's reconsideration and its notification to the prisoner of his or her release date, such prisoner shall have 60 days from the date of such notice in which to decide whether to accept the release date and waive his or her right to parole or to continue under the parole system. If such prisoner does nothing within 60 days after notification of the Board's decision, he or she shall remain under the parole system.