Parole Package Requirements

This report presents an overview of the history of parole guidelines in Texas and reviews the structure of the parole guidelines that became operational in September 2001. State law mandates the Criminal Justice Policy Council (CJPC) to monitor the utilization of the parole guidelines and assist the Parole Board in assessing and revalidating the guidelines.

The Texas Legislature in 1985 mandated the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (the board) to develop parole decision-making guidelines based on acceptable research methods to identify risk factors related to recidivism and based on a ranking of offense severity. The board adopted the guidelines in 1987 but after a few years of use, the guidelines were not updated, there was no computerized system to facilitate their use and it was not clear if the guidelines were being utilized. In 1997, the CJPC submitted a report to the Governor and legislature recommending strategies to adopt new guidelines. In 1998, the National Institute of Corrections, at the request of the board, reviewed the same issue and recommended a redesign of the guidelines. In December 1999, the board contracted with Security Response Technologies (SRT) to design new guidelines. This national consulting company completed the guidelines and the board adopted the recommended guidelines in June 2001. The guidelines became operational on September 1, 2001..

Parole guidelines are intended to assist the board in making decisions based on objective and uniform criteria. The use of guidelines can also make parole policies more predictable helping make prison population projections more accurate. More accurate projections will help better plan prison capacity management policies. The Texas parole guidelines are discretionary and the board members retain their discretion to vote outside the guidelines when necessary.

The parole guidelines “score” inmates eligible for parole consideration on their risk factors and on their offense severity ranking. Risk factors were identified by research conducted by SRT and include factors like prior incarcerations and prison disciplinary conduct. Offense severity rankings were determined by ratings given by the board to 1,931 felony offenses in the Penal Code. The risk and severity factors are scored separately and then merged in a composite score ranging from 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest risk and highest offense severity. Each composite score includes probable parole rates. For example, offenders in the highest risk and highest severity category are scored as 1 and the approval probability for this level is 0% to 5%. Offenders in the lowest risk and lowest severity category are scored as 7 with an approval probability of 76% to 100%. The approval rate probabilities were calculated by the SRT consultants based on discussions with board members and a review of the risk factors of the prison population. These approval rate probabilities are tentative and subject to change as the use of the guidelines are closely monitored and evaluated.

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