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Parole Interview Date

Department of Corrections' institutional parole staff prepare all cases for the parole interview. Preparation starts approximately eight (8) months prior to an individual’s minimum (MIN) sentence date. Institutional parole staff will contact each eligible inmate approximately five (5) months prior to the MIN date to do a pre-interview. Institutional parole staff will ask each person questions in order to make sure the parole file is complete prior to the interview with the Board Member or Hearing Examiner.* This pre-interview requires the inmate to provide his or her written version of the circumstances of the offense, what happened and why.

The schedule for parole interviews and parole violation hearings is called the parole interview/hearing docket. Each state correctional institution has one. In all Board Actions/Decisions produced by the Parole Board, a month and year only is listed in the document if an additional interview/hearing is to be held. Only the inmate is provided with the exact interview/hearing date by parole institutional staff. Only the month and year of the hearing is provided to the general public, even if those requesting are family members, loved ones or friends. Incarcerated individuals often ask family members or friends to contact the Parole Board to see if an exact date can be obtained, but this information is not provided to anyone other than the inmate him/herself.

Parole interviews are held with one or more members of the parole staff face to face with the inmate in the room. Usually this will consist of one Board Member or Hearing Examiner. A second person, usually a Board Member, will be video-linked to the interview. [PLEASE NOTE: In response to health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, all Parole Board decision makers involved in the parole interview or parole violation hearing may participate in the case through the use of video conference.]

*The Pennsylvania Parole Board (Board) consists of nine members. The Board may make parole and revocation decisions by a majority of the Board or in panels of two persons. Panels consist of one Board Member and one Hearing Examiner or two Board Members. A Hearing Examiner is also a decision maker empowered to sit on parole revocation panels, conduct parole hearings in lieu of panels and conduct parole interviews on behalf of the Board.