A deep dive into how parole board work and how decisions are made in 35 states.
Prison Policy Initiative updates for October 7, 2025 Exposing how mass incarceration harms communities and our national welfare
New report, Parole in Perspective, shines a light on how parole boards work and how parole decisions are made in 35 states [[link removed]] Despite their differences, all discretionary parole systems have serious design flaws and most are steadily releasing fewer people, a new report shows. [[link removed]]
A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative pulls back the curtain on parole release systems, providing the most accessible and comprehensive source to date for comparing how these essential — and often dysfunctional — release mechanisms are set up in 35 states. The report, Parole in Perspective, [[link removed]] reveals that parole releases are on the decline in nearly every state that uses discretionary parole, highlighting elements of the process that contribute to this urgent problem.
Parole in Perspective comprises two parts, each honing in on different elements of parole release. The first [[link removed]] explores the makeup of boards and how they conduct hearings. The second [[link removed]] dives into new data on hearings and grants, and the factors that boards consider — including their discretion — in determining whether someone will be released.
The report contains four essential data tables showing:
How parole boards in 35 states are composed [[link removed]] and how they hold hearings; The number of parole hearings and grants [[link removed]] in every state from 2019-2024; How parole boards compare on the criteria they use [[link removed]] to determine release; The exact statutory text [[link removed]] guiding parole boards’ decisionmaking in every state.
Parole in Perspective coincides with the Prison Policy Initiative and MacArthur Justice Center’s release of their Principles for Parole Reform, [[link removed]] a guiding “North Star” document designed to help activists and policymakers identify priorities for reform in their states.
Both the new report and the Principles for Parole Reform identify crucial flaws in parole systems today, including:
Relying too heavily on factors outside of applicants’ control — such as “the severity of the offense” or a perception that release would “diminish the seriousness of the crime”; Making irrational parole decisions in favor of keeping applicants locked up, often flying in the face of what risk assessment tools recommend; Stacking boards with law enforcement professionals, while ignoring the perspective of people with experiences of incarceration; Increasingly holding virtual rather than face-to-face hearings, or worse, not affording parole applicants a hearing at all.
“Despite their differences, all discretionary parole systems have serious design flaws that lead to an unfair preparation and hearing process for incarcerated people,” said report author Leah Wang. “By shining a light on boards and their practices, we hope to lay a path toward making these systems real tools for decarceration.”
The full report is available at [[link removed]].
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Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online [[link removed]] or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!
Other news: Webinar: Reimagining Parole, Rebuilding Communities [[link removed]]
On October 8th, join the Prison Policy Initiative, the MacArthur Justice Center, and Latino Justice for a webinar about how advocates can reshape parole practices to center fairness, dignity, and second chances.
Register here [[link removed]]
Punishment Beyond Prisons: Incarceration and supervision in each state [[link removed]]
When it comes to ranking U.S. states on the harshness of their criminal justice systems, incarceration rates only tell half of the story. 3.7 million people nationwide are on probation and parole, and several of the seemingly "less punitive" states put vast numbers of their residents under these other, deeply flawed forms of supervision.
In this 2023 report [[link removed]], we crunched the numbers to show how these programs too often serve as revolving doors back to incarceration.
States of Women’s Incarceration: The Global Context 2025 [[link removed]]
Every U.S. state incarcerates more women per capita than most independent nations of the world.
This new report [[link removed]] provides a comprehensive women’s incarceration rate for every U.S. state, comparing states to each other and to countries of the world.
Please support our work [[link removed]]
Our work is made possible by private donations. Can you help us keep going? We can accept tax-deductible gifts online [[link removed]] or via paper checks sent to PO Box 127 Northampton MA 01061. Thank you!
Our other newsletters Ending prison gerrymandering ( archives [[link removed]]) Criminal justice research library ( archives [[link removed]])
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