Here is Scot Henson on TX Parole
TDCJ categorizes offenders who are eligible for parole into seven risk levels, and under the current guidelines, level 7 offenders (those identified as the least dangerous) should be approved for release between 76-100% of the time. But take a look at the approval rates for Level 7 offenders at Texas' six regional parole panels from the Sunset report (pdf, p. 31):
Parole Panel Approval Rate for Guideline 7
Amarillo 42.96%
Angleton 54.47
Gatesville 38.29
Huntsville 45.71
Palestine 57.88
San Antonio 53.14
Not one of these parole boards comes close to approving Level 7 parole candidates at even the lowest part of the guideline range. One member of the Sunset Commission pointed out, the parole board is actually more likely to follow its guidelines for the most violent, dangerous offenders than they are low-level nonviolent ones. That makes little sense.
And a little more on that from Norm Sirak's place:
Pretty Hot Letter on Parole to Texas State Senator makes points (Dec. 27)
According to December's Progress Report Texas's Motion to Oppose Class Cert is Due Jan. 17. There have been six motions to dismiss to date, unheard of.
This, from ADAM M. GERSHOWITZ , South Texas College of Law, is a very interesting proposal, politically speaking, concerning the Death Penalty.
As is this one, by WAYNE A. LOGAN , Florida State University College of Law. Thanks as always to Prof. Berman. This article is reviewed (previewed?) by Corey Young over at Sex Crimes blog.
UPDATE: My Newsletter has just been posted here.(10:12am)
Showing posts with label Parole. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parole. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Chilly, but Nice in Western Maryland
Just a little something to get you going on a chilly Tuesday morning in Western Maryland. Thank god it's not Vietnam and thank god its not Iraq.
1 Over at SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston is reporting that the Supreme Court has reversed the Ninth Circuit's decision in Carey v. Musladin. The short majority opinion is more about habeas standards than about button-wearing prejudice, though the three short concurrences get into the substantive issues a bit more. For some additional blogosphere commentary, check out Crime Consequences and Althouse (blogs). Hat Tip Doc Berman at Sentencing Law and Policy.
2 California's Prison Problems Spotlighted in NYT:
More on that in LA Times: "Punishing Prisoners at all Costs." As I note in my header (the blurb at the top, describing my blog), "there has to be a better way." (by Joe Domanick, author of "Cruel Justice: Three Strikes and the Politics of Crime in America's Golden State," -- Domanick is senior fellow in criminal justice at the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism)
3 Texas Parole: This is of special interest to me so I'm going to do a bit more reading and post further on this. Meanwhile, read Doc Berman on the future of parole here.
4 Unintended Consequences: Iowa's residency restrictions creating more problems than they solve. Hat Tip Doc Berman.
5 Sentencing and SCOTUS:
Sentencing fans eagerly awaiting what the Court will say in the Cunningham case about Blakely's applicability to California's sentencing system will have to wait at least another month.
Some have speculated that, in light of the cert grants on Booker issues in Claiborne and Rita, the Court might not issue Cunningham until late Spring. Personally, I would be surprised if the Justices will sit on Cunningham until it deals with Claiborne and Rita (which won't be argued until late February), but who knows what we should expect from slow-poke SCOTUS these days.
Doc Berman's blog Sentencing Law and Policy has all this and more. My hat is permanently tipped in your direction Doug. Thanks!
Christmas Is Time For Giving: As it will soon be Christmas, or Holidays, or just time for gift giving and spending money, let's not forget that lots of people will be missing their loved ones who might be soldiers fighting overseas, or locked away in prison: there is no justice. Lots of prisoners are just plain innocent. Too many. That's why I started the Innocence Project and write this blog and newsletter. Please donate. Send your check to Innocence Project, PO Box 200, Jefferson, MD 21755.
It is an especially hard time of year if you are in prison. It's hard even if you're not. It is an especially good time to begin thinking of new resolutions and turning over a new leaf. If you have not done your good deed for the day, month or year just start today and give a little. It will make you a better person! There is always room for improvement, right?
1 Over at SCOTUSblog, Lyle Denniston is reporting that the Supreme Court has reversed the Ninth Circuit's decision in Carey v. Musladin. The short majority opinion is more about habeas standards than about button-wearing prejudice, though the three short concurrences get into the substantive issues a bit more. For some additional blogosphere commentary, check out Crime Consequences and Althouse (blogs). Hat Tip Doc Berman at Sentencing Law and Policy.
2 California's Prison Problems Spotlighted in NYT:
More on that in LA Times: "Punishing Prisoners at all Costs." As I note in my header (the blurb at the top, describing my blog), "there has to be a better way." (by Joe Domanick, author of "Cruel Justice: Three Strikes and the Politics of Crime in America's Golden State," -- Domanick is senior fellow in criminal justice at the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism)
3 Texas Parole: This is of special interest to me so I'm going to do a bit more reading and post further on this. Meanwhile, read Doc Berman on the future of parole here.
4 Unintended Consequences: Iowa's residency restrictions creating more problems than they solve. Hat Tip Doc Berman.
5 Sentencing and SCOTUS:
Sentencing fans eagerly awaiting what the Court will say in the Cunningham case about Blakely's applicability to California's sentencing system will have to wait at least another month.
Some have speculated that, in light of the cert grants on Booker issues in Claiborne and Rita, the Court might not issue Cunningham until late Spring. Personally, I would be surprised if the Justices will sit on Cunningham until it deals with Claiborne and Rita (which won't be argued until late February), but who knows what we should expect from slow-poke SCOTUS these days.
Doc Berman's blog Sentencing Law and Policy has all this and more. My hat is permanently tipped in your direction Doug. Thanks!
Christmas Is Time For Giving: As it will soon be Christmas, or Holidays, or just time for gift giving and spending money, let's not forget that lots of people will be missing their loved ones who might be soldiers fighting overseas, or locked away in prison: there is no justice. Lots of prisoners are just plain innocent. Too many. That's why I started the Innocence Project and write this blog and newsletter. Please donate. Send your check to Innocence Project, PO Box 200, Jefferson, MD 21755.
It is an especially hard time of year if you are in prison. It's hard even if you're not. It is an especially good time to begin thinking of new resolutions and turning over a new leaf. If you have not done your good deed for the day, month or year just start today and give a little. It will make you a better person! There is always room for improvement, right?
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