A powerful new report from the CSG Justice Center provides riveting data focused on problematic practices in many of the 34 states with discretionary parole.  According to its research, 210,000 individuals in those states were past their parole eligibility date in 2023.

According to the report, between 2019 and 2022, there was a 41 percent drop in the number of individuals released on parole. That included a 27 percent drop in parole hearings. 

While the pandemic would have been a factor in the decline, historically parole board inertia has been a problem in the U.S, contributing to overcrowding and increased costs including health spending for older inmates.

Problems that have stood in the way of quicker and more equitable decision-making have included vacancies on parole boards, insufficient resources and training. racial and cultural biases, political pressures and external events.

While fears of post-parole criminal actions lead to highly cautious stances by parole boards, the report points out that only a small fraction of felony crimes are committed by individuals on parole supervision. The report notes that in an analysis of 28 states, 100,000 people who are past their parole eligibility date were convicted of nonviolent crimes.

State experience varies greatly, with the number of individuals eligible for parole in a state ranging from 630 to more than 64,000. According to the report’s estimate, “at least half of the incarcerated population are past their parole eligibility dates in 10 states: Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas.” 

Parole grant rates also differ, ranging from 10 percent to 78 percent, based on research of 28 states by the Prison Policy Initiative.

According to the report, a major state parole management issue is the lack of sufficient parole data. “This leaves policymakers in the dark about current parole practices. As a result, they are hamstrung in their efforts to provide oversight, ensure transparency, and provide proper resourcing to parole boards,” the Justice Center explains.

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