(a)        Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a prisoner to whom this Article applies shall be released from prison for post-release supervision on the date equivalent to his maximum imposed prison term less 12 months in the case of Class B1 through E felons and less nine months in the case of Class F through I felons, less any earned time awarded by the Division of Prisons of the Department of Adult Correction or the custodian of a local confinement facility under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.13(d). A prisoner whose maximum sentence is established pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.17(f) shall be released from prison for post-release supervision on the date equivalent to his or her maximum imposed prison term less 60 months, less any earned time awarded by the Division of Prisons of the Department of Adult Correction or the custodian of a local confinement facility under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.13(d). If a prisoner has not been awarded any earned time, the prisoner shall be released for post-release supervision on the date equivalent to his maximum prison term less 12 months for Class B1 through E felons and less nine months for Class F through I felons.

(b)        A prisoner shall not refuse post-release supervision. Willful refusal to accept post-release supervision or to comply with the terms of post-release supervision by a prisoner whose offense requiring post-release supervision is a reportable conviction subject to the registration requirement of Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the N.C. Gen. Stat., is punishable as contempt of court under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 5A-11 and may result in imprisonment under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 5A-12 Furthermore, any period of time during which a prisoner whose offense requiring post-release supervision is a reportable conviction subject to the registration requirement of Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. is not in fact released pursuant to subsection (a) of this section due to the prisoner’s resistance to that release shall toll the running of the period of supervised release imposed by subsection (c) of this section. For purposes of this subsection and the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 5A-11, “willful refusal to accept post-release supervision or to comply with the terms of post-release supervision” includes, but is not limited to, knowingly violating the terms of post-release supervision in order to be returned to prison to serve out the remainder of the prisoner’s sentence. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a prisoner punished for the offense of contempt of court under this subsection is not eligible for credit for time served against the sentence for which the prisoner is subject to post-release supervision. Punishment by contempt for willful refusal to accept post-release supervision or to comply with the terms of post-release supervision does not preclude the application of any other sanction provided by law for the same conduct.

(c)        A supervisee’s period of post-release supervision shall be for a period of 12 months in the case of Class B1 through E felons and nine months in the case of Class F through I felons, unless the offense is an offense for which registration is required pursuant to Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the N.C. Gen. Stat.. For offenses subject to the registration requirement of Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the N.C. Gen. Stat., the period of post-release supervision is five years. The conditions of post-release supervision are as authorized in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1368.4

(c1)      Notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, a person required to submit to satellite-based monitoring pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1368.4(b1)(6) shall continue to participate in satellite-based monitoring beyond the period of post-release supervision until the Commission releases the person from that requirement pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-208.43

(d)       A supervisee’s period of post-release supervision shall be reduced while the supervisee is under supervision by earned time awarded by the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety, pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with law. This required reduction of a supervisee’s period of post-release supervision shall be ineffective in reducing the period of post-release supervision by more than twenty percent (20%) of the original length of the period of post-release supervision. A supervisee is eligible to receive earned time credit toward the period of supervision for compliance with the reintegrative conditions described in subdivisions (1) through (5) of subsection (d) of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1368.4

(e)        Repealed by Session Laws 1997-237, s. 7.

(f)        When a supervisee completes the period of post-release supervision, the sentence or sentences from which the supervisee was placed on post-release supervision are terminated. ?(1993, c. 538, s. 20.1; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(b); 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 767, s. 4; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 18, s. 20.14(a); 1997-237, s. 7; 2006-247, s. 15(f); 2011-145, s. 19.1(h); 2011-192, s. 2(b); 2011-307, ss. 2, 5; 2017-186, s. 2(vvv); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(p); 2022-74, s. 19C.2(a).)