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A - D Definitions

Absconder

A parolee who makes himself/herself unavailable for supervision.
 

Administrative Appeals

An appeal of a revocation decision. The Board must receive this appeal within 30 days of the mailing date of the Board’s order.  The scope of the appeal is limited to whether the decision is supported by substantial evidence, an error of law has been committed or a violation of constitutional law has occurred.
 

Administrative Conference:

CON I: A conference held with the offender, the supervising parole agent and his immediate parole supervisor/designee to determine if a violation(s) was committed by the offender and, if so, the appropriate action to be taken.
CON II: A conference held with the offender, the supervising parole agent, the district director/deputy district director/designee and, whenever possible, the parole supervisor assigned to the parole unit, to determine if a violation(s) was committed by the offender and, if so, the appropriate action to be taken.
 

Administrative Review

Appeal of a revocation decision regarding sentence recalculation.
 

Aggregated Sentence

Two or more consecutive sentences that have been combined whereby the aggregate minimum term is the sum of the consecutive minimum terms and the maximum term is the sum of the consecutive maximum terms.
 

Appeal

Resort to a superior court or body to review a decision made by an inferior court or administrative agency
 

Appeal Panel

Three members of the Parole Board, appointed by the Parole Board Chairman, or the Chairman's designee, to adjudicate appeals of Parole Board parole revocation decisions.
 

Application (aka parole application)

A written request seeking parole consideration from the Board.
 

At liberty on parole

Freedom from confinement on a particular sentence from which parole has been granted but not necessarily freedom from all confinement
 

Automatic Reparole

An immediate release from a SCI, CCC, CCJ, CCF based on the date stated on the board action as a result of Act 122.
 

Backtime

The amount of time the Board orders a parolee to serve as a parole violator.
 

Backtime owed

The amount of time the parolee still owes on his/her sentence. This is the amount of time that the Board could order him/her to serve in prison as parole violator.
 

Backtime served

Time that the parolee has been held solely on the Board Warrant prior to the Recommitment Order
 

Board Action (Board Decision) (PB 15)

The written decision rendered by the PBPP following the Parole Board interview/hearing.
 

Board File

The electronic copy of the inmate/parolee's file containing all necessary information used by Members of the Board to make release or recommit decisions
 

Boot Camp Case

An offender whose minimum sentence is abrogated by law on Boot Camp placement and is released by statute without a parole interview.
 

Category 1, 2, 3, offenders

Offender Violence Risk Typology (OVRT) categorization used for parole consideration, offender programming and supervision levels.
Category 1​ ​ ​ ​Non-Violent Instant Offense with no prior Violent History​ ​All Levels of Risk
​​Non-Violent Instant Offense with prior Violent History ​Low Risk
​​Violent Instant Offense with no prior Violent History ​Low Risk
​Category 2 ​ ​​Non-Violent Instant Offense with prior Violent History ​Medium Risk ​
​​Violent Instant Offense with no prior Violent History
​Category 3 ​ ​ ​​Non-Violent Instant Offense with prior Violent History ​High Risk
​​Violent Instant Offense with no prior Violent History ​High Risk
​​Violent Instant Offense with prior Violent History ​High Risk

Chairman

The PA Board of Probation and Parole’s executive director, who directs the operation of the Board, administers its policies and procedures, and oversees the duties of all staff.
 

Commit

To send a person to prison by virtue of a lawful authority for any crime or contempt, or to a mental health facility, workhouse, reformatory, or the like by authority of a court or magistrate.
 

Community Correction Center (CCC)/Community Correction Residency (CCR)/Contract Facility (CF)

A residential facility operated and staffed by the Department of Corrections, Bureau of Community Corrections.
 

Commutation

The power of the Governor of a state to change a punishment to one that is less severe. maximum sentence. However, a commutation does not excuse the crime as does a pardon. Commutations include the following:
  • Commutation of the minimum sentence to make the offender eligible for parole release consideration by the Board;
  • Commutation of the maximum sentence to affect the outright release of an offender from an institution or early discharge from parole supervision;
  • Commutation of a death sentence to life imprisonment; and
  • Commutation of life imprisonment to life on parole.

Concurrent Sentence

Sentences imposed to be served simultaneously or at the same time.
 

Consecutive Sentence

Sentences imposed to be served one after another. State law requires that consecutive sentences be aggregated into one sentence structure with one minimum and one maximum sentence.
 

Constructive Parole

A grant of parole when an inmate is released from one sentence but remains confined while serving another sentence, rather than being released from confinement.
 

Convicted Parole Violator

A parolee who violates parole by committing a new crime while on parole. For a parolee to be recommitted as a CPV:
  (1) The crime must be committed during the period of parole or while delinquent on parole;
  (2) The crime must be punishable by imprisonment; and,
  (3) Parolee must be convicted or found guilty by a judge or jury, or plead guilty or nolo contendere in a court of record or
  (4) of any misdemeanor of the third degree and certain summary offenses. (These summary offenses are: Possession of a Firearm in a Court Facility; Harassment; Retail Theft; Disorderly Conduct; Public Drunkenness; Cruelty to Animals; Aiding or Abetting a Minor to Commit Truancy; Selling or Furnishing Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Minors).
 

County Sentence

A sentence of imprisonment for a maximum term of less than two years where the sentencing court retains parole jurisdiction
 

Crime Victim

As defined by Pennsylvania Crime Victim Bill of Rights, a person against whom a crime has been perpetrated which may include, but is not limited to:
  • A parent or legal guardian of a minor victim except when the parent or legal guardian of the child is the alleged offender;
  • A parent or legal guardian of an incapacitated adult victim;
  • A family member of a homicide victim.  In addition to immediate family, this includes but is not limited to, stepparents, stepbrothers, stepsisters, stepchildren, fiancés or paramours.

Crime Victims Compensation Fund

(Acts 27/86/85/35/96) A law that requires the offender to pay a fee to the county of conviction prior to release on parole.
 

Custody for Return Date

The date the parole violator actually became available to serve his/her backtime.
 

Deferred Sentence

A plea of guilty is entered; however the court’s imposition of sentence is delayed during the period of deferment pending the successful completion by the offender of the terms and conditions of supervision ordered by the court.
 

Delinquent

The period of time during which an offender absconds from supervision and the Board takes administrative action to declare the offender delinquent.
 

Delinquent for Control (DCP)

An action by the Board expressing its intention to proceed with a revocation proceeding in the event the offender is convicted after the expiration of the maximum sentence for a criminal offense that occurred before the maximum sentence expired
 

Detained Parolee

A detained parolee is a parolee who has been arrested and is in official detention pursuant to a Board warrant, but has yet to be recommitted as a parole violator.
 

Detainer

A written order of the court or paroling agency to hold a person in custody in a correctional institution pending further legal action.
 

Direct Violation

A violation of parole by the offender’s commission of a crime while on parole of which the offender is later found guilty or pleads guilty or nolo contenders in a court of record.