After being released from prison, unless the full term was served, offenders face a period of time on which they are under the supervision of the Texas Department of Pardons and Parole. They will be assigned to a local office and a local parole officer who administers their supervision and basically keeps an eye on them.

There are basically three levels of parole supervision, excluding the ones with special conditions such as sex offender and violent felons facing a Super Intensive Supervision Program (SISP) which we will discuss in another post.

Minimum Level of Supervision

The minimum level of supervision  usually requires the following activity and conditions:

• One contact with the offender each month (usually in person but can be changed to telephone by the parole officer)

• Verification of employment and/or verification of any counseling attended that month

• The parole officer can also have contact with a person other than the offender such as the employer or spouse if they deem it     necessary

• A change in the residence of the parolee requires verification within 30 days

Medium Level of Supervision

•  Unless the parole officer says different, there must be at least one contact in the parole office each month

• There is also contact with the offender/parolee at home or in the field every other month. This is referred to as a "home visit".

• The parolee has to provide monthly verification of employment and any required counseling

• The parole officer can also have contact with a person other than the offender such as the employer or spouse if they deem it     necessary

• A change in the residence of the parolee requires verification within 30 days

Maximum Level of Supervision

•  There must be at least one contact in the parole office each month, but more can be required

• There is also contact with the offender/parolee at home or in the field every month

• The parolee has to provide monthly verification of employment and any required counseling

• The parole officer can also have contact with a person other than the offender such as the employer or spouse if they deem it     necessary

• A change in the residence of the parolee requires verification within 30 days

At any of these levels, but particularly at the Maximum Level of Supervision, the parole officer can require additional restrictions such as an ankle monitor to verify location within the residence at any required times.

It is also normal for anyone on parole to be drug tested at either designated times or at random by a computer choosing their name.