Section 42-9-53. Preservation of documents; classification of information and documents; divulgence of confidential state secrets; conduct of hearings

   (a) Subject to other laws, the board shall preserve on file all documents on which it has acted in the granting of pardons, paroles, and other relief.

(b) All information, both oral and written, received by the members of the board in the performance of their duties under this chapter and all records, papers, and documents coming into their possession by reason of the performance of their duties under this chapter shall be classified as confidential state secrets until declassified by the board; provided, however, that the board shall be authorized to disclose to an alleged violator of parole or conditional release the evidence introduced against him or her at a final hearing on the matter of revocation of parole or conditional release; provided, further, that the board may make supervision records of the board available to probation officials employed with the Department of Corrections and the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board, provided that the same shall remain confidential and not available to any other person or subject to subpoena unless declassified by the board.

(c) No person shall divulge or cause to be divulged in any manner any confidential state secret. Any person violating this Code section or any person who causes or procures a violation of this Code section or conspires to violate this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) All hearings required to be held by this chapter shall be public, and the transcript thereof shall be exempt from subsection (b) of this Code section. All records and documents which were public records at the time they were received by the board are exempt from subsection (b) of this Code section. All information, reports, and documents required by law to be made available to the General Assembly, the Governor, or the state auditor are exempt from subsection (b) of this Code section.

Ga. L. 1943, p. 185, § 20; Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 210, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 786, § 4; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 42; Ga. L. 2011, p. 620, § 2/SB 214; Ga. L. 2013, p. 1056, § 2/HB 122.