Criminal Justice (Probation & Parole)

HB 1173 allows New Hampshire's commissioner of corrections to release inmates from state prison at any time during their sentence to attend community college or university programs for which they've been accepted. This directly affects incarcerated individuals in New Hampshire state prisons who are accepted into post-secondary education. The bill requires the commissioner to notify the sentencing court and prosecutor before release, who may object within 10 days; if objected to, a court hearing determines approval. Time spent in education outside prison counts fully toward the inmate's sentence, and the commissioner may recall the inmate if community safety is threatened.