Parole Representation and Review Process

Our Approach

At the Law Office of Mark Morales, PC, we specialize in bringing you prayerful parole representation.
We focus on communication and will be there any time you need us.

The Parole Review Process

Step-By-Step Through the Parole Review Process
The parole review process will begin approximately six months before eligibility for inmates who are parole-eligible for the first time under Texas law and four months before eligibility for all others. This process takes anywhere between 4-6 months and our office is not typically contacted for a board interview until near the end of this time. Here are the steps:

NOTICE

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will identify offenders nearing parole eligibility. They send notice to the offender as well as trial officials and the victims or their family members, if applicable.

INITIAL INTERVIEW

An Institutional Parole Officer conducts a brief interview with the inmate at the prison. They review his or her file and prepare a brief case-summary for the Parole Board to be reviewed at a later date. Personal opinions of the interviewer are rarely part of the analysis at the Parole Review, however, offenders should always show respect and be friendly during the interview.

A woman is holding papers while sitting at a table.

A group of people sitting around a table with papers.

BOARD REVIEW

The Lead Voter is assigned at the offender's regional board office. The Lead Voters job is to review the inmate's file and case summary.

BOARD INTERVIEW

The Board has the practice of granting an interview request from an attorney who represents an inmate and has filed the necessary paperwork.
The Board can grant or deny requests for an interview with the inmate's family or support member.

BOARD DECISION

Once the file has been reviewed by the panel, if applicable, has conducted interviews, the vote takes place. If an agreement has been met by the first two out of three voting members, that decision is final. If not, then the file is forwarded to the third voter for a tie-break. Occasionally, certain crimes may require review by the entire parole board.

A person is using a rubber stamp on a table.

APPROVAL VOTES

FI-1 (Further Investigation 1): Release offender on parole supervision as soon as eligible.
FI-2: Release on parole on a specified future date.
FI-3R: Transfer to TDCJ rehabilitation program, such as Changes/Life skills, no earlier than a specified date for at least four months with a release on parole after completion.
FI-4R: Transfer to a Sex Offender Education Program (SOEP) no earlier than a specified sate for at least four months with release on parole after completion.
FI-5: Transfer to an In-Prison Therapeutic Community Program (IPTC), with release to an aftercare component.
FI-6: Transfer to a DWO rehabilitation program with release to a continuum of care program.
FI-6R: Transfer to a rehabilitation program, such as the Pre-Release Therapeutic Community (PRTC) or Pre-Release Substance Abuse Program (PRSAP), no earlier than specified sate for at least six months with release on parole after completion.

FI-7R: Transfer to Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) no earlier than a specified date for at least seven months with release on parole after completion.
FI-9R: Transfer to the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP-9) no earlier than specified date for at least nine months, with release on parole after completion.
FI-18R: Transfer to the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP-18) in the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) no earlier than a specified date for at least 18 months, with release on parole after completion
CU-FI: Designates the date an offender serving consecutive sentences would have been eligible for parole if single sentence.
RMS: Release to mandatory supervision

DENIAL VOTES

NR (Next Review): This is also known as a "set off." The can be for a period of up to 5 years. Most set-offs are 1 year, but longer set-offs are common in more serious cases.
SA (Serve All): This is a denial of parole with no subsequent regular review, this will either require the offender to complete the sentence or be considered for mandatory discretionary supervision, if they are eligible