A Closer Look: Frederick Merrill's Parole Conditions

The parole process for Frederick Merrill, the "Peanut Butter Bandit," should be moving forward soon as the Department of Correction determines if the 65-year-old convict will be allowed to live with his sister in Tolland.

Executive Director of the Board of Paroles John DeFeo said on Friday that a parole officer will be assigned to Merrill's case most likely within the next 30 days. Then, officers will determine if his sister's home meets the necessary conditions for Merrill's parole. In addition to the standard parole conditions, DeFeo said that Merrill may be under extra requirements, including:

• Electronic monitoring
• No contact with victims or family members of victims
• No consumption of alcoholic beverages, random toxicology screenings
• Behavioral management for the treatment of problem sexual behavior

DeFeo said that it would also be unlikey for Merrill to be allowed to live at a residence with young women or children.

While Merrill is slated to be released on October 1, 2012, DeFeo said that he will not be granted parole until officers approve of his residence. Merrill will have to propose a different living situation if his sister's home is deemed to be unsuitable for the parole standards, he added. Officers may also place him in a treatment program, DeFeo said.

Merrill has been convicted of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree burglary and first-degree escape. He was named the "Peanut Butter Bandit" after escaping from custody using a handgun given to him concealed in a jar of peanut butter, according to the Hartford Courant.

According to the DOC inmate information database, Merrill is currently being held at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institute in Suffield.