3007.5.
(a) A parolee serving a determinate period of parole is entitled to earn reintegration credits to reduce the term of that parole. This section does not apply to a person who is required to register pursuant to Section 290.(b) A parolee subject to lifetime parole may earn reintegration credits to advance the date of the parolee’s discharge review.
(c) Reintegration credits shall be earned at the following rates for completing the following programs or activities while on parole:
(1) (A) For the completion of an accredited academic program or course, as follows:
(i) For a general equivalency high school diploma, 12 months of credit.
(ii) For an associate’s degree, 12 months of credit.
(iii) For a bachelor’s degree, 12 months of credit.
(iv) For the completion of any quarter, trimester, or semester-long course taken towards an academic degree for which a passing grade was received and for which credit was not awarded for the completion of a degree, six weeks of credit.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “accredited” means that the program or course is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the State of California.
(2) For the completion of a certified career or technical education or training program or certificate, six months of credit. For purposes of this paragraph, “certified” means that the career or technical education or training program or certificate is offered by an institution that is approved, certified, or sponsored by a government agency or state-recognized professional licensing or certification body that licenses or certifies persons in a particular profession, occupation, trade, or career field.
(3) For the completion of a cognitive behavioral treatment program, two months of credit.
(4) For the completion of a substance abuse treatment program or residential treatment program that is not ordered by a court, three months of credit.
(5) For the completion of a minimum of 12 voluntary service hours per month, 10 days of credit per month.
(6) Reintegration credits may be awarded pursuant to this section for academic achievements completed while on parole in cases in which the parolee began the academic program during the period of incarceration.
(d) Reintegration credits earned during the 12-month period before each annual review shall be awarded at the annual review. The department shall reduce the period of parole imposed on a parolee pursuant to Section 3000 by the amount of reintegration credit awarded at the parolee’s annual review. Once awarded, earned credits shall not be revoked.
(e) Any reintegration credits earned during the 12-month period before each annual review may, at the discretion of the parole agent, be revoked and not awarded only if a parolee has had a new arrest or a parole violation during that 12-month period.
(f) A parolee may not be awarded more than 12 months of credit earned during a 12-month period. Excess credits earned in a 12-month period before an annual review shall not be awarded in a subsequent year.
(g) In revoking earned credits, the parole agent shall utilize the Parole Violation Decision-Making Instrument described in Section 3768.3 of Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations.
(h) A parolee shall be awarded retroactive credits pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (c) for educational or training programs that were completed during the parolee’s current period of parole but before the effective date of this section, subject to the restrictions in this section.
(i) As used in this section, “voluntary service” means any time spent volunteering for a nonprofit or government agency, including time spent visiting prisons, jails, or juvenile detention facilities. Any volunteer activity shall be approved by a parole agent and documented by a site supervisor in a manner prescribed by the department.