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| Pre-release is a reduction in the level of security under which the criminal is incarcerated, as defined by the parameters of that security, e.g., no wire or concrete enclosures, no gun towers, etc. It provides a means by which offenders who are at least eighteen months within their parole eligibility or discharge date, and merit such special consideration, may begin reintegrating into the community by participating in a work release program and program related activities leaves (commonly referred to as PRA leaves). No person convicted of second-degree murder, however, will be eligible for pre-release before serving at least fifteen years of his sentence, seeing the Parole Board, and being granted a firm parole release date. The Commissioner of Correction must approve and sign the transfer of all prisoners to a pre-release center before the transfer is made. No person convicted of second-degree murder who has escaped even once will be allowed outside of prison or be eligible for incarceration in a minimum-security or pre-release facility. The work release component of the pre-release program allows an inmate to work outside the confines of prison under strict supervision usually, but not always, within the community into which he will eventually be released. The Community Correction Division of the Department of Correction arranges for a contact person at the place of employment and conducts both on site and telephone checks to assure the inmate's presence on the job. Other employees are not informed that the inmate is a prisoner on work release. |
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| Pre-Release |
| Time Deductions |
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| The inmate's paychecks are sent directly to the treasurer at the institution of incarceration, where 15% goes back into state general funds to help defray incarceration expenses, and a mandatory 25% is placed into a savings account for the inmate so that he will have available funds to assist him in getting settled once he is permanently released from prison. The remainder is used to pay any outstanding fines owed by the inmate, to provide him with a weekly budget for travel expenses to and from work, and for the purchase of personal items. |
| PRA leave supplement the work release program by allowing inmates to continue in the community with Alcoholics Anonymous, drug rehabilitation, counselling, or other programs begun in prison. These leaves are monitored by the Department of Correction, who may randomly call the place the inmate is scheduled to be, or even follow him to assure that he is adhering to the conditions of his pre-release status. Overnight leaves are only authorized for pre-release inmated who may require emergency medical care and hospitalization which is unavailable at the facility of incarceration. |
| At the discretion of the Department of Correction, offenders serving sentences other than for second-degree life are eligible for participation in a pre-release program. Those approved may be transferred to a pre-release facility between twelve and eighteen months before their parole eligibility date, with twelve months being the norm. |
| For general information regarding the policies and practices of the Department of Correction, please call (617) 727-3300. Specific questions may be addressed to the Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the Community Correction Division of the Department of Correction at (617) 727-9496. |
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