What is the first step of the parole process in Texas?

    In Texas the first step of the parole process begins after an individuals conviction in county court.  Once the conviction takes place the county will send the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.  Once the offender’s information is with TDCJ they should be identified as eligible for parole within six months of their parole eligibility date.  

    As you can see this first step is about obtaining and processing an offenders information, determining when they will be eligible for parole and then identifying them within six months of their eligibility date so that they will be prepared to make a decision when the offender becomes eligible for parole.

    In our experience as Texas Parole Lawyers this is most confusing for offenders and their families on when the inmate received a relatively short sentences.  Often on sentences of between one and four years by the time an offender reaches a unit they are within the six months of their parole eligibility and yet they have not been contacted by the institutional parole officer nor have they been informed of their parole eligibility date.  There is often a lag on these short sentences.  There are many possible reasons for this ranging from how busy an IPO has been, how much back time a person has at the start of their sentence, and where they are in the classification process.  The result can be that a person’s parole is not decided until after their eligibility date.

    Although this is often difficult for the offender and families at times it does provide you with the opportunity to hire an parole lawyer.  If you would like us, or any parole attorney, to represent an offender for their parole we need a certain amount of time to do a thorough job.  If you have a loved one who was recently incarcerated and have questions about Texas Parole or what a parole lawyer can do for you please call us on our toll free number 888-661-5030 or fill out an online contact form for a free consultation.