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Parole case example*

*NOTE: The following case example is a fictitious person. It does not depict any actual person or event. For the purpose of this example, the individual has been named John*.

 

The Arrest and Conviction of John

John was 21 when he was arrested for entering an apartment without consent and attacking his victim. John was convicted of burglary and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months to 10 years. His minimum (MIN) sentence date was November 28, 2013, and his maximum (MAX) sentence date is May 25, 2019. He was not eligible for RRRI sentencing.

John arrives at state prison

John arrived at state prison and was admitted to the Diagnostic and Classification Center. For male inmates, this is SCI Camp Hill. (For females, it is SCI Muncy). The Department of Corrections (DOC) conducted a number of assessments and also provides cognitive behavioral programming to address treatment needs.

The results of John’s assessment were:
• No mental health needs
• Low CSSM – criminal attitudes
• High RST- risk; Low TCU - drug screen
• High LSI-R – risk and needs
• Did not attain 12th grade education
• Prior parole failure

The DOC and parole institutional staff created a correctional plan that would best meet the rehabilitative needs for John.
 
His correctional plan was:
1. Participate in violence prevention programming that was to include Thinking for a Change;

2. Become employed as barber in prison; and,

3. Obtain his GED.

After his classification ended, John was transferred from SCI Camp Hill to another state correctional facility to begin to serve his sentence.

John was transferred to SCI Coal Township to serve his 4 years and 6 months to 10-year sentence. His MIN was November 28, 2013.

8 months prior to John’s MIN Date…

Eight months before his MIN date, DOC and parole institutional staff began to gather information for his parole interview with the decision makers with the Parole Board.
 

After all of his assessments were completed, John was a violence category 2 (violent offense with no violent history; LSI-R 27 (high risk). He received no misconducts while incarcerated. As he prepared for his first parole interview, he was participating in his programming, but it was not completed.

4 months prior to John’s MIN date, the parole interview is held…

John was interviewed in prison in August 2013. Board Members prepared for the interview by reviewing his file. John was interviewed by two Board Members – one in person at the correctional facility and one via video conference.

John’s case was a violent case requiring two decision makers to interview him. If the vote was a split decision, the case would go to a third Board Member. Certain violent cases require a vote by a majority of the Board.

John was Granted Parole

According to John’s Board Action, he was to be paroled on or after November 28, 2013, his MIN date. In his Board Action, the primary reasons for the decision were:
• Accepted responsibility
• Recommendation of DOC
• Involved in programming
• Placement in a Community Corrections Center (CCC)

John’s Board Action stated the following:

• Paroled on or after November 28, 2013, to a CCC. (While incarcerated, John submitted a home plan, but his request by the landlord was denied. John is to be paroled on or after November 28 to a CCC as he continues to work on another home plan.)
• Maintain employment/
training/schooling
• No contact with persons who sell or use drugs outside of a treatment setting
• Subject to drug testing and must pay for tests
• Cannot enter establishments that sell alcohol
• No contact with victim or victim’s family in any manner
• No contact with associates or co-defendants
• Wage attachment for court-ordered financial obligations

Before John was released from the SCI, he completed the required items, such as the urinalysis, needed before he left prison.

John signed his release orders and conditions of parole and left the SCI. He must report to a parole office or CCC within 24 hours. John met with his assigned agent within 5 days.

Parole supervision staff in the field office reviewed his initial supervision plan. The supervision plan addressed John’s risks for reoffending and his needs to help him be successful on parole.

This supervision plan is re-assessed every year. When he submits a home plan, a visit to the site will occur within 10 days.

John’s Supervision and Violation Status

While still at the CCC, John committed several center violations by signing out for work but failing to report to work. John’s parole agent worked collaboratively with CCC staff.

On his first violation John received a written warning. John later committed a second violation and his parole agent placed him on GPS.

A week later, John had a positive urine for synthetic drugs. On February 6, 2014, John was unsuccessfully discharged from the CCC by the DOC Bureau of Community Corrections (BCC) staff. John’s parole agent submitted a referral to BCC and he is placed in in-patient drug and alcohol treatment.

John was transported to an in-patient drug and alcohol program. Within 3 days, John was found with K2 (synthetic marijuana) in his pocket and refused to be searched by staff.

An expedited removal of John was requested by in-patient staff to his parole agent to remove him to a Parole Violator Center (PVC). John was informed of his rights. He was given a Notice of Charges against him, which included being unsuccessfully discharged from the CCC and in-patient treatment. A preliminary hearing on John’s case needed to be held within 14 days.

John chose to waive his rights to a preliminary hearing. While at the PVC, John was noncompliant with programming and had aggressive behavior toward staff.

At John’s technical violation hearing, the parole agent provided the evidence. The CCC discharge summary was provided.

The Parole Board’s Hearing Examiner found John in violation based on this evidence: John’s own admission of signing out for work but not going to work and also the CCC records that showed the dates, times and John’s signatures.

The Hearing Examiner recommitted John to state prison because of the violation, early parole failure and his previous parole failure from a separate sentence.

The Hearing Examiner also considered that John was an identifiable threat because of his unmanageable behavior when the Board diverted him to parole violator center. John was recommitted to state prison for up to 6 months. The parole agent then transported John to the designated SCI.

While at the SCI, John followed the rules and remained eligible for automatic reparole. John was automatically reparoled in 6 months. He signed his release orders and left prison.

John reported to his designated parole district office within 24 hours of his release. The Parole Board’s prior conditions of parole still applied to John. John served the remainder of his court-imposed sentence and was on parole until May 25, 2019.

John successfully completed his court-mandated sentence while on parole in the community. He has not returned to incarceration.