How to Determine Your Parole Eligibility

The parole system is intended to allow offenders to pay back their communities. After time has been served in a correctional institution, offenders can become eligible for parole, where they are released back to the community to repay their debt as productive members of society under the supervision of a parole officer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Determine If You Are Eligible for Parole

1. Apply for parole. The first step toward being paroled is to fill out the parole application.
2. Wait for a response from the parole commission. It is your right to be notified before your upcoming parole hearing to give you adequate time to prepare.
3. In most cases, an offender becomes eligible for parole after a third of a prison sentence has been served. You will be notified of the date of your upcoming parole hearing when adequate time has been served and you've completed the parole application paperwork.
4. Talk to your attorney. After sentencing, parole should be the next priority of your attorney and he or she can help you determine your eligibility and help you through the process.
5. In certain cases, especially those involving violent crime, convincing the parole commission to grant parole may be difficult. You are not alone, however, and you can use various support groups such as the ACLU (see Resources below) to help ensure that your rights are protected.
6. Expect to hear from victims and witnesses at your parole hearing. Victims and witnesses will be notified when you're eligible for parole and will be invited to testify at the hearing.
7. It might take several tries before you're granted parole. While parole might not be granted the first time you're eligible, you will be able to present your side of the story again during the next parole interview.
8. Practice for your next parole hearing and consult your lawyer if you're denied parole. Make sure you know why you were denied so you can address those reasons next time. You have the right to know why you were denied parole.

Tips & Warnings

• Eligibility for parole is not a guarantee. Eligible offenders will have a parole hearing scheduled where they will be able to tell their side of the story. The parole commission will hear your case and decide whether it will grant your parole.