The William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law and the Civil Rights Clinic at The University of Texas School of Law have published a report advocating for parole reform in Texas.
Texas has one of the highest incarceration rates globally, far exceeding the U.S. average. The report emphasizes a forward-looking approach to parole decisions, prioritizing the potential for future success rather than solely focusing on past offenses. Among the report’s key recommendations are:
- Reduce barriers to parole eligibility for lower-risk individuals.
- Expand compassionate release programs for aging and vulnerable populations.
- Utilize good conduct time in all parole eligibility calculations.
- Create a more transparent and predictable process for individuals under parole review.
The proposed reforms aim to substantially lower incarceration rates, reduce taxpayer spending, and foster stronger families and communities across the state. The full report, “Parole Reform in Texas: Recommendations to Achieve Forward-Looking Justice,” is available here.
The report is a collaborative effort led by Helen Gaebler, Senior Research Attorney at the William Wayne Justice Center, Ranjana Natarajan, Former Clinical Professor and Director of the Civil Rights Clinic, and Lia Sifuentes Davis, Clinical Professor and current Director of the Civil Rights Clinic. The report’s principal authors and researchers include Alyssa Gordon, Emily Johnston, Justin Atkinson, Kathryn Arnett, and Priyam Madhukar, law students from the Civil Rights Clinic.