Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) is a state agency of Texas, with a central office in Austin.

The BPP was created by Constitutional Amendment in 1935. The board is charged with determining which prisoners are to be released on parole or discretionary mandatory supervision and under what conditions of parole supervision. If a parolee violates a parole condition, the board also makes decisions about revocation or other options. Finally, the board also is responsible for issuing recommendations on clemency matters to the governor.

The board is a separate agency from — but works closely with — the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), which has responsibility for housing convicted felons, determining release and parole eligibility dates and supervising offenders on parole or mandatory supervision.

In making parole and clemency decisions, the board seeks to preserve public safety while restoring human potential through the supervised reintegration of offenders into society.

Initially the Board of Pardons and Paroles was created by the legislature in 1929, with three members appointed by the governor and one designated as supervisor of paroles.

In 1935, the Texas Constitution was amended to create the board as a member of the executive branch with constitutional authority, and making the governor’s clemency authority subject to board recommendation. The governor, the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court and the presiding judge of the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals each appointed one member to the board. Members served overlapping six-year terms, one term expiring every two years. The board recommended parole and clemency to the governor, who had final approving authority.

The legislature in 1947 authorized the board, with approval of the governor, to release prisoners for parole or probation, with the exception of those with a death sentence.

A division of parole supervision was established in 1957 as part of the board, to open up district offices across the state to monitor offenders.

In 1975, the Texas legislature created six parole commissioner positions to “assist the Board of Pardons and Paroles in parole matters.” The commissioners were appointed in the same manner as the board members, with six-year terms and two terms expiring every two years.

In 1983, the Texas Constitution was amended to expand the board to six members, appointed by the governor, including naming a chairman, with the advice and consent of the state senate. The governor’s authority to release and revoke offenders was transferred to the board.

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