The Texas Parole Board often will give a standardized reason when explaining a denial vote. A Texas parole lawyer explains.
Often when denying an offender’s parole the parole board will give one of the standardized general reasons for denial. These reasons give some insight into what the board finds important.
- Criminal History: indicates a predisposition to commit criminal acts, gang activity, juvenile or adult arrests for felony or misdemeanor offenses
- Nature of Offense: one or more violent acts indicating a conscious disregard for the lives, safety or property of others, instant offense or history has elements of brutality, violence or conscious selections of victim’s vulnerability indicating a continuing threat to public, or record indicates use of a weapon.
- Drug or Alcohol Involvement: record indicates excessive drug or alcohol involvement in instant offense or history.
- Institutional Adjustment: record indicates a major disciplinary offence during preceding six months or a pattern of disciplinary infraction since last review.
- Adjustment During Periods of Supervision: unsuccessful periods of previous supervision on probation or parole.
- Participation in TDCJ-CID Proposed or Specialized Programs: refusal to participate or complete programs made available to inmate.
- Time Served: time served not congruent with offense and criminal history.
- Felony Offense: inmate has been charged with a felony committed while incarcerated.
One or more of these can apply but the board will give one as an explanation. Many of the reasons are relatively vague and many of them are subjective. However, it does shed light on a few things that offenders can do to increase their chances. While a family may read this list and feel hopeless it is our experience that just because one or more of these reasons for denial may exist does not mean that an offender will be denied parole. In most cases there will be reasons for the parole board to deny parole and it is our job to present them with the reasons to approve parole. Please call us on our toll free number 888-661-5030 or fill out an online contact form and an experienced Texas parole lawyer will call you shortly. Our offices are in Texas and our parole practice takes us across the State. We represent families living in numerous towns across the state including Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Galveston, McAllen, San Antonio and numerous other cities and towns.