As used in this chapter:

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(A) “State correctional institution” includes any institution or facility that is operated by the department of rehabilitation and correction and that is used for the custody, care, or treatment of criminal, delinquent, or psychologically or psychiatrically disturbed offenders.

(B) “Pardon” means the remission of penalty by the governor in accordance with the power vested in the governor by the constitution.

(C) “Commutation” or “commutation of sentence” means the substitution by the governor of a lesser for a greater punishment. A stated prison term may be commuted without the consent of the convict, except when granted upon the acceptance and performance by the convict of conditions precedent. After commutation, the commuted prison term shall be the only one in existence. The commutation may be stated in terms of commuting from a named offense to a lesser included offense with a shorter prison term, in terms of commuting from a stated prison term in months and years to a shorter prison term in months and years, or in terms of commuting from any other stated prison term to a shorter prison term.

(D) “Reprieve” means the temporary suspension by the governor of the execution of a sentence or prison term. The governor may grant a reprieve without the consent of and against the will of the convict.

(E) “Parole” means, regarding a prisoner who is serving a prison term for aggravated murder or murder, who is serving a prison term of life imprisonment for rape or for felonious sexual penetration as it existed under section 2907.12 of the Revised Code prior to September 3, 1996, or who was sentenced prior to July 1, 1996, a release of the prisoner from confinement in any state correctional institution by the adult parole authority that is subject to the eligibility criteria specified in this chapter and that is under the terms and conditions, and for the period of time, prescribed by the authority in its published rules and official minutes or required by division (A) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code or another provision of this chapter.

(F) “Head of a state correctional institution” or “head of the institution” means the resident head of the institution and the person immediately in charge of the institution, whether designated warden, superintendent, or any other name by which the head is known.

(G) “Convict” means a person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of this state, whether or not actually confined in a state correctional institution, unless the person has been pardoned or has served the person’s sentence or prison term.

(H) “Prisoner” means a person who is in actual confinement in a state correctional institution.

(I) “Parolee” means any inmate who has been released from confinement on parole by order of the adult parole authority or conditionally pardoned, who is under supervision of the adult parole authority and has not been granted a final release, and who has not been declared in violation of the inmate’s parole by the authority or is performing the prescribed conditions of a conditional pardon.

(J) “Releasee” means an inmate who has been released from confinement pursuant to section 2967.28 of the Revised Code under a period of post-release control that includes one or more post-release control sanctions.

(K) “Final release” means a remission by the adult parole authority of the balance of the sentence or prison term of a parolee or prisoner or the termination by the authority of a term of post-release control of a releasee.

(L) “Parole violator” or “release violator” means any parolee or releasee who has been declared to be in violation of the condition of parole or post-release control specified in division (A) or (B) of section 2967.131 of the Revised Code or in violation of any other term, condition, or rule of the parolee’s or releasee’s parole or of the parolee’s or releasee’s post-release control sanctions, the determination of which has been made by the adult parole authority and recorded in its official minutes.

(M) “Administrative release” means a termination of jurisdiction over a particular sentence or prison term by the adult parole authority for administrative convenience.

(N) “Post-release control” means a period of supervision by the adult parole authority after a prisoner’s release from imprisonment, other than under a term of life imprisonment, that includes one or more post-release control sanctions imposed under section 2967.28 of the Revised Code.

(O) “Post-release control sanction” means a sanction that is authorized under sections 2929.16 to 2929.18 of the Revised Code and that is imposed upon a prisoner upon the prisoner’s release from a prison term other than a term of life imprisonment.

(P) “Community control sanction,” “prison term,” “mandatory prison term,” and “stated prison term” have the same meanings as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

(Q) “Transitional control” means control of a prisoner under the transitional control program established by the department of rehabilitation and correction under section 2967.26 of the Revised Code, if the department establishes a program of that nature under that section.

(R) “Random drug testing” has the same meaning as in section 5120.63 of the Revised Code.

(S) “Non-life felony indefinite prison term” has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.