Section 42-9-53 - Preservation of documents; classification of information and documents; divulgence of confidential state secrets; conduct of hearings(a) Subject to other laws, the board shall preserve on file all documents on which it has acted in the granting of pardons, paroles, conditional releases, and other relief.(b)(1) All information, both oral and written, received by the members of the board in the performance of their duties under this chapter and all reports, files, records, and information coming into their possession by reason of the performance of their duties under this chapter shall be classified as confidential state secrets until declassified by the board; provided, however, that the board shall be authorized: (A) To disclose to an alleged violator of parole or conditional release the evidence introduced against him or her at a final hearing on the matter of revocation of parole or conditional release; and(B) To disclose information as provided in Code Section 42-9-61.(2) The department may make supervision records of the department available to officials employed with the Department of Corrections and the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board, and to the sexual offender as set forth in Code Section 42-1-14, provided that the same shall remain confidential and not available to any other person or subject to subpoena unless declassified by the commissioner of community supervision.(c) No person shall divulge or cause to be divulged in any manner any confidential state secret. Any person violating this Code section or any person who causes or procures a violation of this Code section or conspires to violate this Code section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor.(d) All hearings required to be held by this chapter shall be public, and the transcript thereof shall be exempt from subsection (b) of this Code section. All records and documents which were public records at the time they were received by the board shall be exempt from subsection (b) of this Code section. All information, reports, and documents required by law to be made available to the General Assembly, the Governor, or the state auditor shall be exempt from subsection (b) of this Code section.Amended by 2023 Ga. Laws 347,§ 6-6, eff. 5/4/2023.Amended by 2017 Ga. Laws 226,§ 2-15, eff. 7/1/2017.Amended by 2015 Ga. Laws 73,§ 5-89, eff. 7/1/2015.Amended by 2015 Ga. Laws 43,§ 7, eff. 7/1/2015.Amended by 2013 Ga. Laws 333,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2013.Amended by 2011 Ga. Laws 215,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2011.