Parole in Texas handbook - Texas Department of Criminal Justice

What happens first in the process
RELEASE AND SUPERVISION
Several months before an offender’s parole eligibility review date, an institutional parole
officer interviews the offender. The parole officer prepares a case summary, which includes
the facts of the offender’s offense; other relevant information such as assaultive behavior or
the use of narcotics; personal history; assignments, adjustment, and disciplinary record
while in prison; physical and mental condition; and a summary of positive and negative
factors are included.
Section 508.181 of the Texas Government Code states in part that a parole panel shall
require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that an offender reside (1) in the
county where the offender resided at the time of committing his or her offense or (2) in the
county where the offender committed his or her offense if the offender was not a resident of
the state at the time of committing the offense. In addition, a parole panel may require the
offender to reside in a county other than the official county of residence to (1) protect the
life and safety of a victim of the offense, the offender, a witness in the case or any other
person, or (2) increase the likelihood of the offender’s successful completion of parole or
mandatory supervision.
Who makes the decision to grant parole
As the offender’s parole eligibility review date approaches, a parole panel (Board of Pardons
and Parole) reviews the offender’s case. The offender may be interviewed by one of the panel
members before the final panel vote. The panel is composed of at least one board member
and any combination of board members and parole commissioners, and two of the three
panelists must vote for parole before it can be granted. A few categories of offenders may be
paroled only upon a two-thirds majority vote of the entire seven-member board. (See Senate
Bill 45.)
What do decision-makers consider before granting parole
Parole panel members look at the circumstances and seriousness of the offense; prior
prison commitments; relevant input from victims, family members, and trial officials;
adjustment and attitude in prison; the offender’s release plan; and factors such as alcohol
or drug use, violent or assaultive behavior, deviant sexual behavior, use of a weapon in an
offense, institutional adjustment, and emotional stability. Based on the entirety of the
available information, the parole panel then determines whether the offender deserves the
privilege of parole.
What are the Parole Guidelines
Parole Guidelines consist of two major components that interact to provide an offender’s
probability of parole success. The first is a Risk Assessment Instrument that weighs both
static and dynamic factors associated with the offender’s record. Static factors include age
at first admission to a juvenile or adult correctional facility, history of supervisory release
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