texas
Writing a Texas Parole Packet
Writing a Texas parole packet can be overwhelming since it is something we do not do all the time. However, with a little planning you can create a successful parole package for your loved one. Last year the Texas Department of Criminal Justice reported that 96,326 inmates were considered for parole and only 28,011 were approved. That is a denial rate of 70.6% with some board members denying up to 73.5% of parole requests. Of the 28,011 approved paroles only 10,409 were allowed to be release when eligible, the others wereRead More
Texas Parole Terminology – Set Off Date
Anyone looking at the terminology used by the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole needs to understand that the terms don’t always mean what they appear to mean. We will discuss this more in future posts. When an inmate is eligible for parole in Texas, the voting members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole have many options on how they can vote. Two of the choices, if the voting members vote to deny parole for an offender, are that the offender will be assigned either a a “serveRead More
Texas to Allow Food Stamps for Felons with a Drug Conviction
Effective September 1, 2015, parolees with a felony drug conviction are once again eligible to apply for and receive federal food assistance commonly known as Food Stamps. Many states opted to bar drug felons from Foods Stamps, which is now known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), for life when the measure was created in 1996. Texas is now the 44th state to opt out of the ban instituted during the Clinton administration. Under the new policy, first time drug felons will be eligible for food stamps so long asRead More
Can You Get a Court Appointed Lawyer for Texas Parole?
Unfortunately in Texas, parole is (mistakenly in my opinion) considered a privielege, not a right. What this means is that many of the safeguards that are present in the criminal justice system, both before trial and on appeal, no longer exist when it is time to apply for parole. The right to have the state appoint a lawyer for someone that can't afford one is not present in a Texas parole application. There are a number of great Texas parole attorneys available (and some not so good) but all of them are forRead More
Texas Parole Commissioner Indicted on Tampering With Government Records
Texas parole commissioner Pamela Freeman has been indicted for tampering with government records. An investigation which led to an indictment revealed that Freeman made notes in official government files that at least five inmates refused to be interviewed when being considered for parole. Freeman was indicted on Wednesday and is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Last June, San Antonio parole lawyer Kevin Stouwie complained to Brue Toney and state Senator John Whitmire, that on April 30, at least five inmates at the WynneRead More