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SB 2308

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINALS -- CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS -- PAROLE

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 9 co-sponsors

SB 2308 sets new, offense- and date-specific parole timelines for life/long-term and juvenile-offense prisoners, with unanimous parole-board approval and retroactive effect.

05/12/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2308

Summary of Bill: SB 2308 (Rhode Island) – Parole for Life and Juvenile-Offense Prisoners

Purpose and main intent

  • Provide revised parole eligibility rules for certain long-term and life-sentence prisoners.
  • Create a streamlined framework for when life prisoners and prisoners convicted for juvenile offenses (sentenced as adults) may be eligible for parole review and a parole permit.
  • Establish clear, age- and offense-specific minimum periods before parole consideration, with retroactive application to offenses since 1991.

Key provisions and changes

  1. Life prisoners and lengthy sentences (13-8-13 amendments)

    • Parole permit eligibility timing:
      • General life-sentence prisoners: after serving at least 10 years, with exceptions based on offense type.
      • First- or second-degree murder (commitments after specific dates):
      • Murder convictions after July 10, 1989: eligible after at least 15 years.
      • Murder convictions after June 30, 1995: eligible after at least 20 years.
      • Murder convictions after July 1, 2015: eligible after at least 25 years.
      • Other crimes (not first- or second-degree murder) after July 1, 2015: eligible after at least 20 years.
    • Parole permit approval requires a unanimous vote of all attending board members, with at least four members present.
    • If a permit is granted and the prisoner is pardoned, board control terminates.

  2. Escape/escape-attempt considerations (13-8-13, subsections c and d)

    • For life inmates convicted of escape/attempts, parole eligibility timelines:
      • General life-escape: at least 25 years served.
      • For life inmates with first- or second-degree murder (post-2015): at least 35 years.
      • Each subsequent escape conviction adds 5 years to the required time.
    • For consecutive life sentences:
      • At least 10 years consecutively on each life sentence (1981+ crimes).
      • For crimes after 1995: at least 15 years on each life sentence.
      • After July 1, 2015: at least 20 years on each life sentence.
      • For lives including first- or second-degree murder after July 1, 2015: at least 25 years on each life sentence.

  3. Juvenile-offense prisoners (offenses committed before age 22)

    • General rule: eligible for parole review and a parole permit after serving at least 20 years, unless other law provides earlier eligibility.
    • Includes retroactive application to offenses occurring on or after January 1, 1991.

  4. Adults convicted for offenses committed before age 18 (adult sentencing)

    • Prisons sentenced as adults for offenses committed before the 18th birthday are eligible for parole review after serving at least 15 years, unless otherwise eligible earlier.

  5. Effective date and retroactivity

    • Effective upon passage.
    • Prospective and retroactive effect for offenses occurring on or after January 1, 1991.

Who and what is affected

  • Prisoners serving life terms or lengthy sentences, including those with:
    • First- or second-degree murder convictions (with timing tied to when offenses occurred).
    • Escape or attempted-escape convictions (and subsequent convictions affecting timelines).
    • Multiple life sentences (consecutive life terms).
  • Prisoners who committed offenses before age 22 (with attention to juvenile-offense categories and parole eligibility).
  • The Rhode Island Parole Board, which must vote unanimously (with at least four members present) to issue a parole permit.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Parole decisions require unanimous approval by attending board members.
  • Clear, offense- and date-specific minimum service periods before eligibility (ranging from 10 to 35+ years depending on offense).
  • Retroactive effect means the bill could alter parole eligibility timelines for offenses dating back to 1991.
  • The act does not change the overarching structure of parole but tightens or clarifies eligibility thresholds and voting requirements.

Prospective impact considerations

  • Potentially increases parole eligibility windows for some prisoners (e.g., juveniles sentenced as adults: from earlier benchmarks to 15 or 20 years depending on case).
  • Increases the minimum waiting periods for certain murder and anti-escape offenses, potentially delaying parole for some life-term inmates.
  • Requires unanimous board consent, which may affect the likelihood of parole issuance depending on board composition.
  • The retroactive application could affect longstanding cases and ongoing inmates since 1991.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison of current law versus SB 2308 for specific offender categories (e.g., juvenile-adult offenders, murder-by-offense-date categories) or outline potential fiscal and administrative implications for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections and Parole Board.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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