Issue 5: Keeping Low-Risk Offenders on Parole and Mandatory Supervision Who Could Be Released Early Can Divert Limited TDCJ Resources From Best Use.
Summary
Key Recommendation
· Require TDCJ’s Parole Division to identify eligible, low-risk offenders, and establish a process for releasing these offenders from parole and mandatory supervision early.
Key Findings
· TDCJ does not use its statutory authority to grant early release from supervision to offenders on parole and mandatory supervision.
· Continuing to supervise low-risk offenders on parole and mandatory supervision can divert resources from high-risk offenders, and fail to reward good behavior.
· The United States Parole Commission uses early termination to release certain offenders from supervision.
Conclusion
Once released on parole or mandatory supervision, offenders must serve the remainder of their entire sentence under supervision, which requires significant resources. In 1989, the Legislature gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) the authority to grant early release from supervision for certain offenders who have completed half of their remaining sentence upon release, have not been revoked, and whose release would be in the best interest of society. Despite statutory authority, TDCJ has never granted early release to an offender.
Supervising minimum risk offenders, who have shown a pattern of compliance with the rules and conditions of supervision, and have been deemed to have adjusted to life in the free world, may divert attention and resources from offenders who need it most.
Early release from parole or mandatory supervision for certain eligible offenders could provide incentives for successful supervision, reduce supervision caseloads, and allow parole officers to focus on high-risk and newly released offenders, who need more frequent and intensive supervision.