(1)(a) Within six months of the admission of a prisoner to any Department of Corrections institution, with the exception of those prisoners sentenced to a term of imprisonment for life or for more than five years, the State Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision shall conduct a parole hearing to interview the prisoner and set the initial date of release on parole pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. For those prisoners sentenced to a term of imprisonment for more than five years but less than 15 years, the board shall conduct the parole hearing and set the initial date of release within eight months following admission of the prisoner to the institution. For those prisoners sentenced to a term of imprisonment for life or for 15 years or more, with the exception of those sentenced for aggravated murder or murder, the board shall conduct the parole hearing, and shall set the initial release date, within one year following admission of the prisoner to the institution. Release shall be contingent upon satisfaction of the requirements of ORS 144.125.
(b) Those prisoners sentenced to a term of imprisonment for less than 15 years for commission of an offense designated by rule by the board as a non person-to-person offense may waive their rights to the parole hearing. When a prisoner waives the parole hearing, the initial date of release on parole may be set administratively by the board pursuant to subsections (2) to (6) of this section. If the board is not satisfied that the waiver was made knowingly or intelligently or if it believes more information is necessary before making its decision, it may order a hearing.
(2) In setting the initial parole release date for a prisoner pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the board shall apply the appropriate range established pursuant to ORS 144.780. Variations from the range shall be in accordance with ORS 144.785.
(3) In setting the initial parole release date for a prisoner pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the board shall consider the presentence investigation report specified in ORS 144.791 or, if no such report has been prepared, a report of similar content prepared by the Department of Corrections.
(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, in the case of a prisoner whose offense included particularly violent or otherwise dangerous criminal conduct or whose offense was preceded by two or more convictions for a Class A or Class B felony or whose record includes a psychiatric or psychological diagnosis of severe emotional disturbance such as to constitute a danger to the health or safety of the community, the board may choose not to set a parole date.
(5) After the expiration of six months after the admission of the prisoner to any Department of Corrections institution, the board may defer setting the initial parole release date for the prisoner for a period not to exceed 90 additional days pending receipt of psychiatric or psychological reports, criminal records or other information essential to formulating the release decision.
(6) When the board has set the initial parole release date for a prisoner, it shall inform the sentencing court of the date. [1977 c.372 §5; 1981 c.426 §1; 1985 c.283 §2; 1987 c.2 §14; 1987 c.320 §51; 1987 c.881 §1; 1989 c.589 §3; 1991 c.126 §6; 1993 c.294 §5; 1999 c.782 §3; 2001 c.104 §48; 2010 c.89 §11]