Richard P. Rienholtz v. Christine Bradley, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Correction

OPINION

CANTRELL, Judge.

Richard P. Rienholtz, an inmate in the Tennessee prison system petitioned the Chancery Court of Davidson County for a declaratory judgment arguing that the Department of Correction’s decision to extend his parole eligibility date for escape was illegal. The chancellor dismissed the petition and we affirm.

I

In 1981, Mr. Rienholtz received a sentence of forty-five years in prison for two counts of murder, a Class X felony. Under the law then in effect he had to serve forty percent of the sentence to be eligible for parole, and he could not earn sentence credits to advance…