Section 42-9-51. Final hearing for parole or conditional release violator; order and statement as to disposition of violator; revocations without hearing and temporary revocations

   (a) A parolee who has allegedly violated the terms of his parole or conditional release shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, have a right to a final hearing before the board, to be held within a reasonable time after the occurrence of one of the events listed in this subsection. No final hearing shall be required or permitted if the parolee or conditional releasee has been convicted of or entered any form of guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere in any federal or state court of record to any felony crime, or misdemeanor involving physical injury, committed by the parolee or conditional releasee during a term of parole or conditional release, and which new conviction results in imposition by the convicting court of a term of imprisonment, and, in such cases, the board shall revoke the entire unexpired term of parole or conditional release. In no case shall a final hearing be required if the parolee or conditional releasee has signed a waiver of final hearing. The final hearing, if any, shall be held within a reasonable time:

   (1) After an arrest warrant has been issued by a member of the board and probable cause for revocation has been found by the preliminary hearing officer;

   (2) After a majority of the board overrules a determination by the preliminary hearing officer that probable cause does not exist;

   (3) After the board or two of its members are informed of an alleged violation and decide to consider the matter of revocation without issuing a warrant for the alleged violator's arrest; or

   (4) After a determination has been made that no preliminary hearing is required under subsection (a) of Code Section 42-9-50.

(b) The purpose of the hearing shall be to determine whether the alleged violator has in fact committed any acts which would constitute a violation of the terms and conditions of his parole or conditional release and whether those acts are of such a nature as to warrant revocation of parole or conditional release.

(c) When a parolee or conditional releasee has been convicted of any crime, whether a felony or a misdemeanor, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere thereto in a court of record, his parole or conditional release may be revoked without a hearing before the board. Moreover, whenever it shall appear to the board that a parolee or conditional releasee either has absconded or has been convicted of another crime in a federal court or in a court of record of another state, the board may issue an order of temporary revocation of parole or conditional release, together with its warrant for such violator, which shall suspend the running of the parolee's or conditional releasee's time from the date of the temporary revocation of parole or conditional release to the date of the determination by the board as to whether the temporary revocation shall be made permanent. If the board determines that there has been no violation of the conditions of the parole or conditional release, then the parolee or the releasee shall be reinstated upon his original parole or conditional release without any loss of time and the order of temporary revocation of parole or conditional release and the warrant shall be withdrawn.

(d) In all cases in which there is a hearing before the board, the alleged violator shall be given written notice of the time and place of the hearing and of the claimed violations of parole or conditional release. In addition, this notice shall advise him of the following rights:

   (1) His right to disclosure of evidence introduced against him; provided, however, this right shall not be construed to require the board to disclose to an alleged violator confidential information contained in its files which has no direct bearing on the matter of parole revocation;

   (2) His opportunity to be heard in person and to present witnesses and documentary evidence;

   (3) His right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, unless a majority of the board determines that disclosure of a particular informant's identity would cause that informant or a member of his family to suffer a risk of harm; and

   (4) His right to subpoena witnesses and documents through the board as provided in subsections (e) and (f) of this Code section.

The notice shall be served by delivering it to the alleged violator in person, by delivering it to a person 18 years or older at his last known place of residence, or by depositing it in the mail properly addressed to his last known place of residence.

(e) The board shall have the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses at the hearing provided for by this Code section. The subpoenas shall be issued without discrimination between public and private parties. When a subpoena is disobeyed, any party may apply to the superior court of the county in which the hearing provided for by this Code section is held for an order requiring obedience. Failure to comply with the order shall be cause for punishment as for contempt of court. The manner of service of subpoenas and costs of securing the attendance of witnesses, including fees and mileage, shall be determined, computed, and assessed in the same manner as prescribed by law for cases in the superior court.

(f) The board shall have the power to issue subpoenas for the production of documents or other written evidence at the hearing provided for by this Code section, but upon written request made promptly and before the hearing the board may quash or modify the subpoena if it is unreasonable or oppressive or may condition denial of the request upon the advancement by the person in whose behalf the subpoena is issued of the reasonable cost of producing the documents or other written evidence. Enforcement of such subpoenas may be sought in the same manner as is provided in subsection (e) of this Code section for subpoenas to compel attendance of witnesses.

(g) Within a reasonable time after the hearing provided for by this Code section, the board shall enter an order (1) rescinding parole or conditional release and returning the parolee or conditional releasee to serve the sentence theretofore imposed upon him, with benefit of computing the time so served on parole or conditional release as a part of his sentence; or (2) reinstating the parole or conditional release or shall enter such other order as it may deem proper. The board shall issue a written statement which shall indicate its reasons for revoking or not reinstating parole or conditional release or for taking such other action as it deems appropriate and shall also indicate the evidence relied upon in determining the facts which form the basis for these reasons. The parolee or conditional releasee who is the subject of the board's decision shall be furnished with a copy of this written statement.

Ga. L. 1943, p. 185, § 17; Ga. L. 1955, p. 351, § 1; Ga. L. 1964, p. 497, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 478, § 2; Ga. L. 1975, p. 786, § 3; Ga. L. 1981, p. 812, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 3221, § 11.