SALT LAKE CITY — Steven Powell will remain in prison for at least another month and possibly longer.

Powell, 62, would have been eligible for early release from the Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe, Wash., Thursday. But under Washington state law, an inmate must first submit an "offender release plan" for approval.

"It's a plan of, where do you plan to live? How are you going to support yourself? What treatment is available? So the offender submits the plan. We investigate it. We go ensure that the residence is OK, that there's treatment available, you have a support network. We review it and we either approve it or deny it," said Washington Department of Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis. "Once he submits a plan, and if we approve it, then the clock starts."

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Susan Powell disappearance likely to become cold case, police say

The search for clues into the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell in Oregon ended Thursday. And police say their leads are now exhausted.

Once that plan is approved, Lewis said an inmate will stay an additional 35 days in prison while preparations are made for his release, such as notifying victims as well as local law enforcement in the area that he is about to move there.

As of Wednesday, Powell had submitted his offender release plan to Corrections officials, but it was still in the process of being reviewed. Even if it was approved this week, it would still be another month at the earliest that he would be released, Lewis said.

Deseret News:

Steven Powell will not be released from prison next week

Once released from jail, Steven Powell won't be placed on parole, but he will have several restrictions and regulations he must abide by. He also faces another trial scheduled in 2014 &38212; a civil suit filed by the family of his sex assault victims.

If an acceptable plan is never completed, Powell would remain in prison until April of 2014.

Powell was convicted by a Tacoma jury on 14 counts of voyeurism in 2012. During the sentencing hearing, two of those cases were dismissed and Powell, accused of taking pictures of two young neighbor girls while they were using their bathroom, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on June 19. He has had time knocked off his sentence for good behavior and was expected to be released May 23.

Powell is the father of Josh Powell, who killed his two young sons and himself while Steven was in prison. Josh Powell was long considered a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox Powell. Members of Susan Powell's family have also openly speculated about whether Steven Powell has any knowledge of what happened to his daughter-in-law.

Susan Powell has been missing since December of 2009. A search this week in Oregon failed to reveal clues to her whereabouts.

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