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​A - D definitions

Absconder
A parolee who makes himself/herself unavailable for supervision

Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)
The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) provides an important service to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. The program has two basic parts. First, the ACP provides a substitute address for participants who have moved to a new location unknown to their perpetrator. The second part of the program provides participants with a free first-class confidential mail forwarding service. The ACP is not for everyone. A victim service professional from a domestic violence, sexual assault or a victim service program can help determine if the ACP is right for the victim as part of their safety plan.

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

Assessment, Sanctioning and Community Resource Agents (ASCRA)
Assessment, Sanctioning and Community Resource Agents provide technical assistance to parole agents when an offender is having difficulty adjusting to life outside of prison and has not responded positively to sanctions for parole violations, and is therefore in jeopardy of recommitment to prison

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 ("green sheet") (PBPP-15)
The written decision rendered by the PA Board of Probation and Paorle following the Parole Board interview/hearing

Board Compact Case
Pennsylvania Board parolee or special probation case supervised in another state through the Interstate Compact

Board Detainer
A warrant lodged by the PA Board of Probation and Parole

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

Board Warrant
Process issued by the PA Board of Probation and Parole for the attachment or arrest of a person under the Board’s jurisdiction

Boot Camp Case
An inmate 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, inmate programming and supervision levels

Chairman Certification (CERT)
For any inmate who is serving a sentence for a violent offense, the Chairman of the Parole Board must certify that all release requirements have been met, before the individual can be released

Chairman
The 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

Citizen Advisory Committee
A voluntary committee, organized in each district, which advises the Board of the issues and concerns of the citizens of the Commonwealth regarding probation and parole

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 offender is released from one sentence but remains confined while serving another sentence, rather than being released from confinement.

Convicted Parole Violator
An offender who violates parole by committing a new crime while on parole to which the offender subsequently pleads guilty or nolo contenders or is found guilty by a judge or jury in a court of record

County Detainer
A warrant lodged by a county of the state of Pennsylvania

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 parolee’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