What do you really know about the Texas Parole Review process?
(According to the Texas State Web Site Link and Privacy Policy, we can link to their site, but cannot copy it onto our site.
Also, their videos require Real Player; if needed, you can download it free from www.real.com or for older PCs get legacy versions.)
In the video, the Texas House Committee on Corrections heard testimony on House Bill 3377, filed by Congresswoman Terri Hodge of Dallas. It is worth your time to watch this session, including the testimony of our own Don Kubica! You can fast forward to the discussion on this bill (around 9:00 min.) or to Don's testimony (from around 41:45 min.). Representative Hodge and Vice-Chair Jerry Madden asked some good questions of the Parole Board. Hodge's bill proposes legislation to change the parole review process, giving inmates credit for good behavior - rather than only counting risks against them!
If you want this parole review reform, it is VERY IMPORTANT for each of you to write Representative Hodge (Rep. Hodge's email or other contact information) and to your own state representative and senator (find your representatives), telling them you strongly support HB 3377. |
Parole Reform News
from Don Kubica
060209 - ...Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, this session will close without any marked change in the current parole situation. I believe that we should not despair but rather look upon it as a time to allow the legislators working diligently on parole reform to come up with a bill that has the best opportunity to pass and become law and will be worded in such a way that the Parole Board must follow specific guidelines not subject to interpretation or manipulation. At the same time we can grow in knowledge and meet other people who may be able to affect the parole system in the future. I definitely will continue the fight for parole reform as we begin to move toward the 2011 legislative session.
I believe that we should not let our efforts slow down one single bit. I want each of you to continue to keep me updated with your time sheets and to add others to our cause. Complacency is a killer to a good cause and if you guys give up it will die out and who knows when we will be able to get this stirred up again...One of my friends that works in the House told me that they believe that the Parole Board will have to follow up on reform demands if we keep the pressure on. After saying all this I have to tell you that I have still not seen nearly enough letters and time sheets from you guys. (Read Don's full commentary here.)
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The Stone Tablet
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The mission statement of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is to provide public safety, promote positive change in offender behavior, reintegrate offenders into society and assist victims of crime. (Read it in the TDCJ Offender's Handbook at http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/publications/cid/OffendOrientHbkNov04.pdf)
Having worked with inmates and various Prison Ministry, the leaders at The ROC have discovered some surprising facts about the Texas Parole process. We certainly believe scripture teaches that individuals who have broken the law should be held accountable. We support jury and court decisions to incarcerate individuals whose crimes are so serious or habitual that punishment and/or behavior correction are needed. We also understand that some inmates, who have turned their minds over to evil or have not corrected their attitudes and behavior, remain threats to society.
However, our ministry and many in our "flock" have also seen inmates who have been changed through anger management classes, counseling and ...yes, through salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ! Some of these have spent most of their adult life paying for dangerous, stupid, irresponsible choices as young men or women and they sorely regret their sins. Some committed transgressions while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and have been freed from their addictions.
According to TDCJ documentation, an ITP (Individual Treatment Plan) is used to promote and monitor an inmates progress toward that positive change and to determine if that inmate meets the criteria for being reintegrated into society. Unfortunately, some of the families we help are convinced that the present system ignores or never considers the ITP records or positive accomplishments of the inmates. Inmates who have turned their lives around, attending church services or Bible studies inside their prisons, taking classes in anger management and addiction recovery and participating in work programs are being denied probation despite their changes in attitudes, successful completion of their ITPs and positive feedback from their bosses and wardens. Why? The families, the inmates and even their attorneys, cannot find the answers; they are NOT ALLOWED to have copies of the documents used for the reviews or given specifics about the reasons for the denials. Instead, a case usually shows only that it was denied based on the "nature of the crime"!
According to the TDCJ, "Information not normally found in courthouse records is confidential according to Open
Records Decision No. 33 (1974). This includes information that was added by interviewers
or persons who are trying to assess the extent of a prisoner’s rehabilitation, recommendations
for or against parole, and reports having to do with social or antisocial conduct, etc." and "According to Texas Government Code §522.028, a governmental body is not required to accept or
comply with a request for information from an individual who is imprisoned or confined in a
correctional facility, including an intermediate sanction facility. An agency is also not required to
provide information to a person acting as agent, other than the inmate’s attorney. While § 522.028
does not prohibit the governmental body from disclosing the information to the inmate or agent, it
is the policy of the Parole Division not to release information to an inmate or agent under normal
circumstances. Upon request, Institutional Parole Officers shall release the latest computer generated
Board Action no more than one (1) time per year to offenders and family members." (http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/policy/parole/1.2.1_parole_policy.pdf)
As explained on our Prison Ministry page, we believe that in order to be obedient to God's word, in Matthew 25:34-40 we must help and minister to those in prison. To us, this includes supporting parole reform to make the parole hearing or review process and related records more open and transparent to insure fairness and equity in parole decisions across the state.
In addition, our prisons are overcrowded and our tax dollars are being spent unnecessarily on meals, housing and medical treatment for individuals who have been rehabilitated, but are being refused parole. So, we ask you to review the documentation in the links provided and if you agree the parole review and parole process should be reformed, please sign the petition at the following address
Below are some sites for families and individuals interested in articles, blogs, discussions, support groups and community forums related to this issue. (The ROC does not necessarily agree with some comments and cannot control or condone language used on these sites.)
Great Example of How Probation is Being Denied Despite District Attorneys and TDCJ Propaganda
http://blog.austindefense.com/2007/04/articles/probation-jail-and-prison/texas-parole-and-mandatory-release/
texasparolereformnow (Yahoo group)
Grits For Breakfast Blogspot is all about Texas Prison Reform. Below are just a sample of articles. In fact, the last link will bring up search results for "parole" in his blogs.
http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2008/07/tdcj-publishes-fy-2007-prison-stats.html
http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2006/05/texas-parole-system-fraught-with-fraud.html
http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/search?q=parole
http://www.aclutx.org/projects/prisons.php
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More to come! This page is still under construction.
