Parole eligibility; revise for certain offenders and require Parole Board hearing before release of certain inmates.

HB 229 modifies Mississippi's parole eligibility rules for certain offenders. It requires violent offenders convicted after June 30, 1995, to serve 25% or 10 years (whichever is less) before parole consideration, and mandates a Parole Board hearing for these cases. The bill also increases the required affirmative votes for parole grants: three members for violent crimes (Section 47-7-5) and four for capital murder or sex offenses (Section 47-7-13). It removes the requirement that all parole hearings must be held at Parchman prison and allows psychiatric evaluations when needed (Section 47-7-17). These changes directly affect inmates convicted of violent crimes, capital murder, or sex offenses after specified dates.