How to Check Parole Status in Texas

The state of Texas allows members of the general public to check the current status of an individual about to be released from prison to go on parole, as well as those who have already been released.

Depending on the inmate’s parole status, they’ll either contact the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's (TDCJ) Parole Division. To search for other general information on an inmate, interested parties can use the TDCJ’s online database.

Parole is the release of an offender according to the discretion of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. It allows an inmate to serve the remainder of their sentence in the community while under supervision.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Correctional Institutions Division Records Office calculates the dates of parole eligibility for all offenders, except those on death row or under other specific circumstances.

How much of their sentence an inmate must serve to become eligible for parole depends on the type of offense they’ve committed as specified by state statute. An inmate’s parole eligibility date can change according to good conduct time.

Mandatory supervision is a legislatively mandated prisoner release to parole and occurs when the combination of actual calendar time and time for good conduct equals the sentence.

Offenders participating in work and self-improvement programs get good conduct time credit. Not all offenders are eligible for mandatory supervision, such as those on death row.

Inmates released under both parole and mandatory supervision will serve the remainder of their sentence under supervision. In both cases, certain conditions of release may be imposed by the parole board and violations of any conditions can lead to revocation of parole supervision or sanctions for the offender.

In Texas, the public can check the parole status of an inmate before or after their release from prison by contacting the appropriate agency via email or phone. They can also check an agency's online database for information.

The TDCJ is responsible for administering prison paroles for offenders under its supervision. To get information about the parole review status of an offender, interested parties can contact: Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in Austin at 844-512-0451 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

They can contact the TDCJ Parole Division at 512-406-5202 for an inmate’s release status after they were granted parole during the same hours.

A person checking for information about a parolee needs the inmate’s name and State Identification Number or TDCJ number. If they don’t have these numbers, they must provide the name of the offender and their birth date.

To inquire about parole supervision or a parolees’ behavior or conduct, they can contact the agency via email at [email protected]. They must state the parolee's full name, TDCJ number, SID number, or birth date, if those numbers are not known, in the subject line of the email.

For general questions regarding the Texas parole process, they can contact the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles at: [email protected].

Anyone can check the TDCJ Offender Information Search portal to find an inmate’s projected release date, TDCJ facility housing location, or current parole status.

Note that TDCJ’s portal information changes frequently, so when an inmate is about to be released, their family member should call the TDCJ unit before picking up the inmate, as information on the database may not be up to date.

When using the Offender Information Search portal, the interested party should input as much information as they have, such as the offender's:

• First and last name.
• TDCJ number or SID number.
• Gender and race.

If the interested party does not have this information, they can still search the database with at least the last name of the inmate and the first initial of their first name.

If an interested party has questions about the inmate’s TDCJ classification, they can send an email requesting information to [email protected]. They must include the offender's:

• TDCJ number.
• Location and conviction offense.
• Incarceration history, including offense, county and court of conviction.
• Current incarceration information, including offense, county and court of conviction.
• Projected release date as determined by type of offense and date it occurred.
  

If an inmate committed the crime prior to September 1, 1996, and they are eligible for mandatory supervision, the TDCJ will release the offender on their projected release date if they were not paroled.

When sending an email regarding the inmate’s classification, the interested party should include the inmate’s full name (if they know it) in the subject line of the email. There is no fee for this information. The offender’s Social Security number and photos are not made available to the public.

If the inmate committed the crime on after September 1, 1996, and is eligible for mandatory supervision, they will be released at the discretion of the BPP. If they aren’t eligible for mandatory supervision, or if their release is not approved by the BPP, their projected release date is the prison discharge date.