Texas Government Code Title 4, Chapter 508 - Parole And Mandatory Supervision

SUBCHAPTER A GENERAL PROVISIONS

• Texas Section 508.001 - Definitions
  In this chapter: (1) "Board" means the Board of Pardons and Paroles. (2) "Community supervision and corrections department" means a department established under Chapter 76....
• Texas Section 508.002 - Clemency, Commutation Distinguished
  Neither parole nor mandatory supervision is a commutation of sentence or any other form of clemency. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec....

SUBCHAPTER B BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES

• Texas Section 508.003 - Inapplicable To Juveniles And Certain Inmates
  (a) This chapter does not apply to an emergency absence under escort granted to an inmate by the institutional division under Section 501.006. (b) Except...
• Texas Section 508.031 - Composition Of Board
  (a) The board consists of seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. (b) Appointments to the board must...
• Texas Section 508.032 - Requirements For Membership
  (a) Board members must be representative of the general public. (b) A member must have resided in this state for the two years before appointment....
• Texas Section 508.033 - Disqualifications
  (a) A person is not eligible for appointment as a member of the board or for employment as a parole commissioner if the person or...
• Texas Section 508.034 - Grounds For Removal
  (a) It is a ground for removal from the board that a member: (1) does not have at the time of taking office the qualification...
• Texas Section 508.035 - Presiding Officer
  (a) The governor shall designate one member to serve as presiding officer of the board. (b) The presiding officer serves in that capacity at the...
• Texas Section 508.036 - General Administrative Duties
  (a) The presiding officer shall: (1) develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policy-making responsibilities of the board and the management responsibilities of the...
• Texas Section 508.0362 - Training Required
  (a) (1) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the board may not vote, deliberate, or be counted...
• Texas Section 508.037 - Terms; Removal
  (a) A board member holds office for a term of six years. (b) The terms of one-third of the members expire February 1 of each...
• Texas Section 508.038 - Vacancies
  If a vacancy occurs, the governor shall appoint in the same manner as other appointments are made a person to serve the remainder of the...
• Texas Section 508.039 - Compensation
  A board member is paid the salary the legislature determines in the General Appropriations Act. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 12.01,...
• Texas Section 508.040 - Personnel
  (a) The presiding officer is responsible for the employment and supervision of: (1) parole commissioners; (2) a general counsel to the board; (3) a board...
• Texas Section 508.041 - Designee Training; Handbook
  (a) The board shall develop and implement: (1) a training program that each newly hired employee of the board designated to conduct hearings under Section...
• Texas Section 508.042 - Training Program For Members And Parole Commissioners
  (a) The board shall develop for board members and parole commissioners a comprehensive training and education program on the criminal justice system, with special emphasis...
• Texas Section 508.043 - Gifts And Grants
  The board may apply for and accept gifts or grants from any public or private source for use in any lawful purpose of the board....
• Texas Section 508.044 - Powers And Duties Of Board
  A board member shall give full time to the duties of the member's office, including duties imposed on the board by the Texas Constitution and...
• Texas Section 508.0441 - Release And Revocation Duties
  (a) Board members and parole commissioners shall determine: (1) which inmates are to be released on parole or mandatory supervision; (2) conditions of parole or...
• Texas Section 508.045 - Parole Panels
  (a) Except as provided by Section 508.046, board members and parole commissioners shall act in panels composed of three in matters of: (1) release on...
• Texas Section 508.046 - Extraordinary Vote Required
  To release on parole an inmate who was convicted of an offense under Section 20A.03, 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), or 22.021, Penal Code, or who is required...
• Texas Section 508.047 - Meetings
  (a) The members of the board shall meet at least once in each quarter of the calendar year at a site determined by the presiding...
• Texas Section 508.048 - Subpoenas
  (a) A parole panel may issue a subpoena requiring the attendance of a witness or the production of any record, book, paper, or document the...
• Texas Section 508.0481 - Victim's Right To Representation
  (a) If a victim, close relative of a deceased victim, or guardian of a victim is required by a subpoena issued under Section 508.048 to...
• Texas Section 508.049 - Mission Statement
  (a) The board, after consultation with the governor and the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, shall adopt a mission statement that reflects the responsibilities for...
• Texas Section 508.050 - Report To Governor
  (a) On request of the governor, the board shall investigate a person being considered by the governor for: (1) pardon; (2) commutation of sentence; (3)...
• Texas Section 508.051 - Sunset Provision
  The Board of Pardons and Paroles is subject to review under Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act), but is not abolished under that chapter. The board...
• Texas Section 508.052 - Computers; Office Space; Other Equipment
  (a) The department by interagency contract may provide to the board necessary computer equipment and computer access to all computerized records and physical access to...
• Texas Section 508.053 - Use Of Technology
  The board shall implement a policy requiring the board to use appropriate technological solutions to improve the board's ability to perform its functions. The policy...
• Texas Section 508.054 - Records Of Complaints
  (a) The board shall maintain a system to promptly and efficiently act on complaints filed with the board. The board shall maintain information about parties...

SUBCHAPTER C REPRESENTATION OF INMATES

• Texas Section 508.055 - Negotiated Rulemaking And Alternative Dispute Resolution
  (a) The board shall develop and implement a policy to encourage the use of: (1) negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008 for the adoption of...
• Texas Section 508.081 - Definitions
  In this subchapter: (1) "Compensation" has the meaning assigned by Section 305.002. (2) "Inmate" includes: (A) an administrative releasee; (B) an inmate imprisoned in the...
• Texas Section 508.082 - Rules
  The board shall adopt rules relating to: (1) the submission and presentation of information and arguments to the board, a parole panel, and the department...
• Texas Section 508.083 - Eligibility To Represent Inmates
  (a) A person who represents an inmate for compensation must: (1) be an attorney licensed in this state; and (2) register with the division. (b)...
• Texas Section 508.084 - Fee Affidavit
  (a) A person required to register under Section 508.083, before the person first contacts a member of the board, an employee of the board, or...
• Texas Section 508.085 - Representation Summary Form
  (a) A person required to register under Section 508.083 shall, for each calendar year in which the person represents an inmate, file a representation summary...

SUBCHAPTER D PARDONS AND PAROLES DIVISION

• Texas Section 508.086 - Criminal Penalties
  (a) A former member or employee of the board or the Texas Board of Criminal Justice or a former employee of the department commits an...
• Texas Section 508.111 - Director
  (a) The executive director shall hire the director of the division. (b) The director is responsible for the administration of the division. Added by Acts...
• Texas Section 508.112 - Duty Of Division
  The division is responsible for the investigation and supervision of all releasees. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 12.01, eff. Sept. 1,
• Texas Section 508.113 - Parole Officers, Supervisors: Qualifications
  (a) This subsection and Subsection (b) apply only to a person employed as a parole officer or supervisor on or before September 1, 1990. A...
• Texas Section 508.1131 - Salary Career Ladder For Parole Officers
  (a) The executive director shall adopt a salary career ladder for parole officers. The salary career ladder must base a parole officer's salary on the...
• Texas Section 508.114 - Parole Officers, Supervisors: Additional Duties
  (a) The judge of a court having original jurisdiction of criminal actions may, with the approval of the director, designate a parole officer or supervisor...
• Texas Section 508.1141 - Specialized Training; Gang Members
  The department shall develop and provide specialized training for parole officers supervising releasees previously identified by the department as being members of prison gangs, criminal...
• Texas Section 508.1142 - Parole Officer Maximum Caseloads
  (a) The department shall adopt a policy that establishes guidelines for a maximum caseload for each parole officer of: (1) 60 active releasees, if the...
• Texas Section 508.115 - Notification Of Release Of Inmate
  (a) Not later than the 11th day before the date a parole panel orders the release on parole of an inmate or not later than...
• Texas Section 508.116 - Parole Information Program
  (a) The division shall develop and implement a comprehensive program to inform inmates, the inmates' families, and other interested parties about the parole process. (b)...
• Texas Section 508.117 - Victim Notification
  (a) Before a parole panel considers for release on parole an inmate who is serving a sentence for an offense in which a person was...
• Texas Section 508.118 - Halfway Houses
  (a) The division, in conjunction with the institutional division, shall use halfway houses to divert from housing in regular units of the institutional division suitable...

SUBCHAPTER E PAROLE AND MANDATORY SUPERVISION; RELEASE PROCEDURES

• Texas Section 508.119 - Community Residential Facilities
  (a) The purpose of a community residential facility is to provide housing, supervision, counseling, personal, social, and work adjustment training, and other programs to: (1)...
• Texas Section 508.141 - Authority To Consider And Order Release On Parole
  (a) A parole panel may consider for release and release on parole an inmate who: (1) has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment in...
• Texas Section 508.1411 - Notification Of Parole Panel Decision
  (a) For each decision of a parole panel granting or denying the release of an inmate on parole, or denying the release of an inmate...
• Texas Section 508.142 - Period Of Parole
  (a) The institutional division shall provide the board with sentence time credit information for each inmate who is eligible for release on parole. (b) Good...
• Texas Section 508.143 - Legal Custody Of Releasee
  (a) A releasee while on parole is in the legal custody of the division. (b) A releasee while on mandatory supervision is in the legal...
• Texas Section 508.144 - Parole Guidelines And Range Of Recommended Parole Approval Rates
  (a) The board shall: (1) develop according to an acceptable research method the parole guidelines that are the basic criteria on which a parole decision...
• Texas Section 508.1445 - Annual Report On Guidelines Required
  (a) The board annually shall submit a report to the Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,...
• Texas Section 508.145 - Eligibility For Release On Parole; Computation Of Parole Eligibility Date
  (a) An inmate under sentence of death, serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole, serving a sentence for an offense under Section 21.02, Penal...
• Texas Section 508.146 - Medically Recommended Intensive Supervision
  Sec. 508.146. MEDICALLY RECOMMENDED INTENSIVE SUPERVISION. Text of subsection effective until January 01, 2017 (a) An inmate other than an inmate who is serving a...
• Texas Section 508.147 - Release To Mandatory Supervision
  (a) Except as provided by Section 508.149, a parole panel shall order the release of an inmate who is not on parole to mandatory supervision...
• Texas Section 508.148 - Period Of Mandatory Supervision
  (a) The period of mandatory supervision is computed by subtracting from the term for which the inmate was sentenced the calendar time served on the...
• Texas Section 508.149 - Inmates Ineligible For Mandatory Supervision
  Sec. 508.149. INMATES INELIGIBLE FOR MANDATORY SUPERVISION. Text of subsection effective until January 01, 2017 (a) An inmate may not be released to mandatory supervision...
• Texas Section 508.150 - Consecutive Felony Sentences
  (a) If an inmate is sentenced to consecutive felony sentences under Article 42.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, a parole panel shall designate during each sentence...
• Texas Section 508.151 - Presumptive Parole Date
  Sec. 508.151. PRESUMPTIVE PAROLE DATE. Text of subsection effective until January 01, 2017 (a) For the purpose of diverting inmates to halfway houses under Section...
• Texas Section 508.152 - Individual Treatment Plan
  (a) Not later than the 120th day after the date an inmate is admitted to the institutional division, the department shall obtain all pertinent information...
• Texas Section 508.153 - Statements Of Victim
  (a) A parole panel considering for release on parole or mandatory supervision an inmate who is serving a sentence for an offense in which a...
• Texas Section 508.1531 - Contact With Victim
  A parole panel considering the release of an inmate on parole or to mandatory supervision may consider whether the inmate violated a policy adopted by...
• Texas Section 508.154 - Contract On Release
  (a) An inmate to be released on parole shall be furnished a contract stating in clear and intelligible language the conditions and rules of parole....
• Texas Section 508.155 - Completion Of Parole Period
  (a) To complete a parole period, a releasee must serve the entire period of parole. (b) The time on parole is computed as calendar time....
• Texas Section 508.1555 - Procedure For The Early Release From Supervision Of Certain Releasees
  (a) A parole officer annually shall identify the releasees under the parole officer's supervision who are eligible for early release from supervision under Section 508.155(c)....
• Texas Section 508.156 - Determinate Sentence Parole
  (a) Before the release of a person who is transferred under Section 152.0016(g), 152.00161(e), 245.051(c), or 245.151(e), Human Resources Code, to the department for release...

SUBCHAPTER F MANDATORY CONDITIONS OF PAROLE OR MANDATORY SUPERVISION

• Texas Section 508.157 - Temporary Housing On Release
  (a) This section applies only to inmates who are eligible for release on parole or to mandatory supervision and to releasees. (a-1) In this section,...
• Texas Section 508.181 - Residence During Release
  (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), a parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that the releasee...
• Texas Section 508.182 - Parole Supervision Fee; Administrative Fee
  (a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee pay to the division for each month during...
• Texas Section 508.183 - Educational Skill Level
  (a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of release on parole or release to mandatory supervision that an inmate demonstrate to the parole...
• Texas Section 508.184 - Controlled Substance Testing
  (a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee submit to testing for controlled substances on evidence...
• Texas Section 508.185 - Substance Abuse Treatment
  (a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of release on parole or release to mandatory supervision that an inmate who immediately before release...
• Texas Section 508.186 - Sex Offender Registration
  A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee required to register as a sex offender under Chapter...
• Texas Section 508.1861 - Prohibitions On Internet Access For Certain Sex Offenders
  (a) This section applies only to a person who, on release, will be required to register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, Code of...
• Texas Section 508.1862 - Sex Offender Treatment
  A parole panel shall require as a condition of release on parole or to mandatory supervision that a releasee participate in a sex offender treatment...
• Texas Section 508.187 - Child Safety Zone
  (a) This section applies only to a releasee serving a sentence for an offense under: (1) Section 43.25 or 43.26, Penal Code; (2) Section 21.02,...
• Texas Section 508.188 - Community Service For Certain Releasees
  A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee for whom the court has made an affirmative finding...
• Texas Section 508.189 - Parole Fee For Certain Releasees
  (a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee convicted of an offense under Section 21.02, 21.08,...
• Texas Section 508.190 - Avoiding Victim Of Stalking Offense
  (a) A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee serving a sentence for an offense under Section...
• Texas Section 508.191 - No Contact With Victim
  (a) If a parole panel releases a defendant on parole or to mandatory supervision, the panel shall require as a condition of parole or mandatory...

SUBCHAPTER G DISCRETIONARY CONDITIONS OF PAROLE OR MANDATORY SUPERVISION

• Texas Section 508.192 - Reentry Into The United States Prohibited
  (a) In this section, "illegal criminal alien" has the meaning assigned by Section 493.015. (b) A parole panel shall require as a condition of parole...
• Texas Section 508.221 - Conditions Permitted Generally
  A parole panel may impose as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision any condition that a court may impose on a defendant placed on...
• Texas Section 508.221 - Conditions Permitted Generally
  A parole panel may impose as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision any condition that a court may impose on a defendant placed on...
• Texas Section 508.222 - Payment Of Certain Damages
  A parole panel may require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee make payments in satisfaction of damages for which the...
• Texas Section 508.223 - Psychological Counseling
  A parole panel may require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that a releasee serving a sentence for an offense under Section 42.072,...
• Texas Section 508.224 - Substance Abuse Counseling
  A parole panel may require as a condition of parole or mandatory supervision that the releasee attend counseling sessions for substance abusers or participate in...
• Texas Section 508.225 - Child Safety Zone
  Sec. 508.225. CHILD SAFETY ZONE. Text of subsection effective until January 01, 2017 (a) If the nature of the offense for which an inmate is...
• Texas Section 508.226 - Orchiectomy As Condition Prohibited
  A parole panel may not require an inmate to undergo an orchiectomy as a condition of release on parole or to mandatory supervision. Added by...
• Texas Section 508.227 - Electronic Monitoring Of Certain Members Of Criminal Street Gang
  (a) This section applies only to a releasee who: (1) is identified as a member of a criminal street gang in an intelligence database established...

SUBCHAPTER H WARRANTS

• Texas Section 508.228 - Sex Offender Treatment
  A parole panel may require as a condition of release on parole or to mandatory supervision that a releasee participate in a sex offender treatment...
• Texas Section 508.251 - Issuance Of Warrant Or Summons
  (a) In a case of parole or mandatory supervision, the director or a designated agent of the director or, in another case, the board on...
• Texas Section 508.252 - Grounds For Issuance Of Warrant Or Summons
  A warrant or summons may be issued under Section 508.251 if: (1) there is reason to believe that the person has been released although not...
• Texas Section 508.253 - Effect On Sentence After Issuance Of Warrant
  If it appears a releasee has violated a condition or provision of the releasee's parole or mandatory supervision, the date of the issuance of the...
• Texas Section 508.254 - Detention Under Warrant
  (a) A person who is the subject of a warrant may be held in custody pending a determination of all facts surrounding the alleged offense,...
• Texas Section 508.255 - Status As Fugitive From Justice
  (a) After the issuance of a warrant, a person for whose return a warrant was issued is a fugitive from justice. (b) The law relating...

SUBCHAPTER I HEARINGS AND SANCTIONS

• Texas Section 508.256 - Withdrawal Of Warrant
  At any time before setting a revocation hearing date under Section 508.282, the division may withdraw a warrant and continue supervision of a releasee. Added...
• Texas Section 508.281 - Hearing
  (a) A releasee, a person released although ineligible for release, or a person granted a conditional pardon is entitled to a hearing before a parole...
• Texas Section 508.2811 - Preliminary Hearing
  A parole panel or a designee of the board shall provide within a reasonable time to an inmate or person described by Section 508.281(a) a...
• Texas Section 508.282 - Deadlines
  (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a parole panel, a designee of the board, or the department shall dispose of the charges against an...
• Texas Section 508.283 - Sanctions
  (a) After a parole panel or designated agent of the board has held a hearing under Section 508.281, in any manner warranted by the evidence:...

SUBCHAPTER J MISCELLANEOUS

• Texas Section 508.284 - Transfer Pending Revocation Hearing
  The department, as provided by Section 508.282(c), may authorize a facility that is otherwise required to detain and house an inmate or person to transfer...
• Texas Section 508.311 - Duty To Provide Information
  On request of a member of the board or employee of the board or department, a public official of the state, including a judge, district...
• Texas Section 508.312 - Information On Recidivism Of Releasees
  The Texas Board of Criminal Justice shall collect information on recidivism of releasees under the supervision of the division and shall use the information to...
• Texas Section 508.313 - Confidential Information
  (a) All information obtained and maintained, including a victim protest letter or other correspondence, a victim impact statement, a list of inmates eligible for release...
• Texas Section 508.314 - Access To Inmates
  The department shall: (1) grant to a member or employee of the board access at all reasonable times to any inmate; (2) provide for the...
• Texas Section 508.315 - Electronic Monitoring Programs
  (a) To establish and maintain an electronic monitoring program under this chapter, the department may: (1) fund an electronic monitoring program in a parole office;...
• Texas Section 508.316 - Special Programs
  (a) The department may contract for services for releasees if funds are appropriated to the department for the services, including services for releasees who have...
• Texas Section 508.317 - Intensive Supervision Program; Super-intensive Supervision Program
  (a) The department shall establish a program to provide intensive supervision to inmates released under Subchapter B, Chapter 499, and other inmates determined by a...
• Texas Section 508.318 - Continuing Education Program
  (a) The Texas Board of Criminal Justice and the Texas Education Agency shall adopt a memorandum of understanding that establishes the respective responsibilities of the...
• Texas Section 508.319 - Program To Assess And Enhance Educational And Vocational Skills
  (a) The department, with the assistance of public school districts, community and public junior colleges, public and private institutions of higher education, and other appropriate...
• Texas Section 508.320 - Contracts For Lease Of Federal Facilities
  (a) The department may contract with the federal government for the lease of a military base or other federal facility that is not being used...
• Texas Section 508.321 - Reporting, Management, And Collection Services
  The department, with the approval of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, may contract with a public or private vendor to provide telephone reporting, automated...
• Texas Section 508.322 - Releasee Restitution Fund
  (a) The releasee restitution fund is a fund outside the treasury and consists of restitution payments made by releasees. Money in the fund may be...
• Texas Section 508.323 - Audit
  The financial transactions of the division and the board are subject to audit by the state auditor in accordance with Chapter 321. Added by Acts...
• Texas Section 508.324 - Victim-offender Mediation
  If the pardons and paroles division receives notice from the victim services office of the department that a victim of the defendant, or the victim's...

Last modified: September 28, 2016