Ok, here goes.

He went in last week on a 2 year plea. NOW, according to Texas law, an inmate must serve 25% of their sentence to be elgible for parole review. AND, according to Texa law, the parole board is to begin review 6 months prior to elgibility date. Here's my dilemma....

1) He's still in county and has not been transferred to a unit yet. The parole boar doesn't even know he exists yet. and we don't have a TDCJ # to even reference.

2) I've been told to get an attorney to represent him on the parole hearing. I would like opinions and pros/cons to that suggestion.

3) I am NOT related to him and was told writing letters on his behalf merely brings more attention to him, and can in fact, make the parole board act in opposition of our goal to get him home....and DENY his parole.

I understand most set offs are a year, but with good time and calendar time, we aren't expecting much more than 12 months in anyway.

Once he gets a unit, do I write the parole board or keep my mouth shut? Do we hire an attorney, or hope overcrowding is hospitable to the non violents?

I know they seem like base questions, but I'm learning as I go. My education on this whole process is FAR deeper than I would have ever cared it to be. I want to help and not hinder him. I would die if I thought something I did kept him from coming home.

GO FOR IT...let me have it, be honest. I want to know!


kath
:confused:

HI TRULYKATH
I THINK YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEY MOVE HIM TO HUNTSVILLE, TEX TO DIAGNOSTIC AND THEN THEY WILL SEND HIM TO A TDC UNIT. JUST MAKE SURE WHAT JAIL TIME HE SPENDS GOES TOWARDS THE 2 YEARS HE REC'D. THE TDC IS SO OVER CROWDED THAT HE COULD BE AT THE JAIL FOR 6 MONTHS OR LONGER, WHO KNOWS? MY SON STAYED IN COUNTY JAIL NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE HE WAS SENT TO A UNIT. SO YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE, AND YOU CAN TALK TO THE WARDEN AT HIS UNIT BUT HE HAS TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT HIMSELF, THEN IF HE CANT DO ANYTHING THEN A PERSON FROM THE FREE WORLD CAN HELP HIM. SO ALL YOU CAN DO NOW IS WAIT AND SUPPORT HIM, BUT TELL HIM TO ASK ABOUT HIS JAIL TIME BEING COUNTED FOR HIS TDC TIME, HE DID NOT HAVE A LAWYER? HE MIGHT ASK FOR A COURT APPOINTED ATTY. IF HE NEEDS HELP WITH SOME QUESTIONS. BEST OF LUCK FOR HIM. BUT TDC OR COUNTY JAILS DO NOT GET IN ANY HURRY BECAUSE THEY JUST DONT CARE. IRIST IRIS TAYLOR TEXAS

We hired a very good attorney for the DWI. DA was going for 7 years with trial, wanted 3 years...we pled to 2, they took it.

I know he may do a substantial amount at county. He heard 1 to 1 at county and up to 4 to 1 at TDC. The stats show that most non violent are only serving 30% of their sentences, which would only mean 8 months.

I'm just trying to figure out realistically...how much time are we looking at with the 2 year sentence. The county records do not show an end date, and the woman I talked to there said TDC would supply his end date. He indicated to me that he had heard most shorter sentences are doing a basic "turn-around" once they reach their unit!?!??!

Stephen has also heard that most guys with short sentences are going up just to get their number and be released. On Stephen's first charge he got 2 years and they were panning to let him out on January 9th had he not had these other charges pending. A few other things, in talking to my lawyer when Stephen was going to court I asked him how much time Stephen would have to do on his sentence and he said on his 8 years he would do MOSt PROBABLY no more than 2 1/2 becasue he ws no-aggravated, he said they dont want guys like him inthere (I think Texas will take anyone they can get!)
Also, we were goingto hire a lawyer and he said that it really wasnt necessary that I could do pretty much everything a lawyer could for parole-except go before the parole board or whatever..he said a lawyer would probably just tkae video of me and the kids and show it to make Stephen more real...A while ago I got a parole paket from a lawyer named PAul Hample--it was real informative--Here is his number-I dont know if he is still sending them but it was real helpful--if he isnt I can send you copies of mine....1-888-707-2765..or email TDCJ-Parole-subscribe@***********.com.I dont think your not being related to him makes any difference--you will be the one who will there to help him when he gets out right?

I am going to post some other info in the Texas forum tonite (some stuff from this packet)

Trulykath,
I think that letters on his behalf are great no matter who they are from. We took 30 letters from friends, family and co-workers... these were all given to the board to review. And they even said that they did make a difference in thier decision. It helps for them to "know" the person they are reviewing and also to see that there will be someone there for support once he is released.
Best to you!! CJ