should you wait till you start writing the board. What should you include in the letter. Thanks for the help? What happens if you write them early? Also is it better to schedule an interview than or just write .

According to your profile, he's still got 6 years until he's parole eligible??
It's way too early.
Your parole letter should include positive changes you've seen in him during his incarceration and what specific support you can offer. Anything you have to say now will be incomplete and out of date by then.

Thanks for the info; but i was also inquiring for someome up for parole in 2 years.

The parole process is lengthy, and anyone familiar with TDCJ KNOWS they do NOT get in a hurry with anything. Even eligibility in 2 years is not something I would start working on today. The pull sometimes doesn't even start until the eligiblity date, although some strategically placed phone calls may get it started a little early.

Once the file is pulled, the unit IPO will update the information on the offender (classes taken since last review, disciplinarys since last review etc). This file is passed on to the board for a vote. You can ask for an interview with the board; however, they are not required to grant your request. The board will notify many parties of the upcoming vote, giving law enforcement and possible victims a chance to oppose the pending release. Once all the information is gathered, the board will vote the file. The first voting member (this duty is rotated among the 3 board members) is the best person to talk to, and you can either request an in-person(you go to them) or phone interview.

Because of the workload, they don't have a lot of time to spend on each file, and you will have to be prepared on how/what you want to present. (I was shocked to get 15 minutes on the phone with the first voting member).

I've left out some of the minutia, but this is pretty much the overview. There are probably hundreds of threads in the Texas forum dealing with parole. I would do a search on parole IN the Texas forum, and spend some time reading all the info we have compiled over the years. After you read some, let us know what gaps we might fill in for you!

kath