If I could now pick it up, I'd like to respond to the issue of section 745.01. I assume you're probably familiar with it. It is a statement that the judge is required to read on sentencing. One of the first things the judge has to say is “The offender is not eligible for parole until...”, and then a specified date, which in the case of murder is 25 years, so the offender is not eligible for parole for 25 years.
Then he goes on to say:
However, after serving at least 15 years of the sentence, the offender may apply under section 745.6 of the Criminal Code for a reduction in the number of years of imprisonment without eligibility for parole. If the jury hearing the application reduces the period of parole ineligibility, the offender may then make an application for parole under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act at the end of that reduced period.