US Legal Forms
Legal Resources
Questions & Answers
Criminal
Is there a law to allow flat bid prisoners to receive lessor parole upon release?

Is there a law to allow flat bid prisoners to receive lessor parole upon release?

Q: What does flat time mean in jail?

Flat time in jail means that an inmate is required to serve their full sentence without the possibility of early release or parole reductions. This type of sentence is often imposed for serious offenses, ensuring that the individual completes their entire term in prison before being eligible for parole.

Q: What does 5 years flat mean?

Five years flat means that an individual has been sentenced to serve a full five years in prison without the possibility of parole or early release. This term indicates that the inmate must complete the entire duration of their sentence before they can be considered for any type of release.

Q: What does flatten time mean?

Flatten time is not a commonly used legal term, but it may refer to a situation where a sentence is served in full without reductions. It emphasizes that the inmate must complete their entire sentence without any opportunities for early release, similar to flat time.

Full question:

I have an 18 year old son in prison in NY. He is currently serving a 3 and a half year sentence and told me that there will be a new law passed next September 2011 allowing flat bid prisoners upon release to receive a lessor parole sentence..with this being said, he was given the above sentence with a 5 year parole bid upon release. He was very happy to hear this. i am asking this question because i have no idea about any of this. He said that when he is up for parole next October, he should be released and given about a year of parole or less. Can you this me know if this is true?

Category: Criminal
Subcategory: Sentences
Date: 04/07/2025
State: New York

Answer:

We cannot give legal advice. The following is not a substitute for the advice of a local attorney. But we hope the information will be useful.

I believe you are referring to Senate Bill 500, a law passed back in the spring. It contains a provision for early parole of prisoners. Your son may be slightly misinformed. But the upshot of it is, he may get out of prison and onto parole 9 months early. The length of his parole will probably not be reduced, but it will be good to be out of prison 9 months sooner.

The new law requires all prisoners to be put on parole nine months ahead of a prison term limit. Those who violate parole must be returned to a special prison unit for a maximum of 90 days.

The law is being reviewed for possible modification with regard to violent and sex offenders who some lawmakers do not want to see get early parole.

Please see this link for a news item about the law:

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=First+bill+of+2011+rolls+back+new+parole+reforms&articleId=bfc5e049-0271-4a82-bffb-79c13251d5d2

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

FAQs

What is a flat time?

Flat time refers to a prison sentence that must be served in full, without any reductions for good behavior or parole eligibility. In this context, a prisoner serves their entire sentence before being released, typically followed by a period of parole. This is important for understanding how sentencing and parole work in the criminal justice system.