All hearings conducted under the provisions of this chapter shall be held before a panel of at least two members of the indeterminate sentence review board. One member shall be designated, by decision of the panel, as the presiding officer.

A limited number of observers may be present by prior approval of the panel members conducting the hearing, provided that the superintendent of the institution where the hearing is to be conducted, authorizes observers in the facility. However, no family members, friends, relatives, or interested parties shall be present. The board will accept and consider written statements submitted by individuals expressly excluded from hearings.

Exclusion of observers other than those expressly excluded herein shall be had only upon a finding of cause made by the board panel on the hearing record except in cases where the institutional superintendent denies access to the hearing room. The board reserves the right to exclude any person from the room during the conduct of any hearing under this chapter upon its own motion or the motion of any party to the hearing provided that good cause for such exclusion is articulated on the record. The presiding officer may recess the hearing at any time for consultation with the other panel member(s). The panel may question witnesses called by the parties to the hearing (as well as the subject of the hearing whether called as a witness or not) to develop any facts deemed necessary to render a fair and impartial decision. The panel conducting the hearing will submit its recommendation to the full board for final determination after the hearing as to any change in minimum term. In the event of a language communication problem, an interpreter designated by the board shall be present to interpret and assist. The board will accept information from any interested person in writing.