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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>56156</law_id><section_number>53.1-159</section_number><catch_line>Mandatory release on parole</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-310.2</reference><reference>19.2-316.4</reference><reference>53.1-153</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="53.1">Prisons and Other Methods of Correction</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Probation and Parole</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Procedures Governing Parole</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Every person who is sentenced and committed under the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections or as provided for in &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="When sentence may run concurrently with sentence in another jurisdiction" href="/19.2-308.1/">19.2-308.1</a>, <a class="law" title="Eligibility of persons sentenced for combinations of felony and misdemeanor offenses" href="/53.1-152/">53.1-152</a> or &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Eligibility of persons sentenced to jails for more than twelve months" href="/53.1-153/">53.1-153</a> shall be released on parole by the Virginia Parole <span class="dictionary">Board</span> six months prior to his date of final release. Each person so sentenced or committed, however, shall serve a minimum of three months of his sentence prior to such a release. Persons who are so released on parole shall be subject to a minimum of six months&#x2019; supervision and an additional period of parole ending on the date upon which the parolee would have served the <span class="dictionary">maximum term of confinement</span>, or any period the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> otherwise deems appropriate in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Period of parole; not counted as part of term" href="/53.1-156/">53.1-156</a>. Such persons shall also be subject, for the entire period of parole fixed by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>, to such terms and conditions prescribed by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Parolees to comply with terms; furnishing copies" href="/53.1-157/">53.1-157</a>.
		Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if within thirty days of a release scheduled pursuant to this section, new information is presented to the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> which gives the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> reasonable cause to believe that the release poses a clear and present danger to the life or physical safety of any person, the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> may delay the release for up to six months to investigate the matter and to refer it to <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement, mental health or other appropriate authorities for investigation and any other appropriate action by such authorities.
		No person released on parole pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Powers and duties of Board; notice of release of certain inmates; report" href="/53.1-136/">53.1-136</a>, and whose parole is subsequently revoked, shall be released on parole pursuant to this section until at least six months have elapsed from the date of the decision revoking his parole. No person released on parole pursuant to this section, whose parole is subsequently revoked, shall thereafter be released on parole pursuant to this section. <span class="dictionary">Final discharge</span> may be extended to require the prisoner to serve the full portion of the term imposed by the sentencing <span class="dictionary">court</span> which was unexpired when the prisoner was released on parole.
		For purposes of this section, (i) &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">maximum term of confinement</span>&#x201D; means the maximum term of incarceration established by <span class="dictionary">law</span> as punishment for the <span class="dictionary">offense</span>, (ii) &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">mandatory release date</span>&#x201D; means that date which is six months prior to the scheduled date of release and takes into consideration good conduct credits, and (iii) &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">final discharge</span>&#x201D; and &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">discharge from parole</span>&#x201D; mean that a prisoner is released from confinement having satisfied the full term imposed by the sentencing <span class="dictionary">court</span> without regard to good conduct credit. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to create a right or entitlement to parole.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 53-251.3; 1979, c. 415; 1981, cc. 20, 392; 1982, c. 636; 1985, c. 175; 1987, c. 668; 1991, c. 410; 1994, c. 894.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
