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Information Collection and Analysis of Parole Board Decisions: Progress Report

NCJ Number
238701
Author(s)
Kevin L. Ford Ph.D.
Date Published
November 2011
Length
69 pages
Annotation
In compliance with Colorado statutory mandates, this report assesses the status of the implementation of a process to collect data related to the Colorado State Board of Parole's decisions regarding its rationale for granting, revoking, or denying parole.
Abstract
The mandate now requires collaboration between the State Board of Parole ("the Board"), the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and the Department of Corrections (DOC) in implementing the data-collection process; the DCJ is to develop a parole release guideline; and the DOC is responsible for developing a parole revocation guideline. Prior to 2008, the Board did not have a system for reliably collecting and reporting parole-hearing data. This report describes ongoing efforts by the Board, in consultation with the DCJ and the DOC, to improve the efficiency of the collection process for parole-hearing data. The current data-entry process is described, followed by a description of reform projects mandated by State law. The latter include the Parole Board Application Hearing Automation Project, the Decision Factors Project, the Parole Board Action Notice Forms Project, the Parole Release Guideline Project, the Parole Revocation Guideline Project, and the Master Program Scheduling Project. This report indicates that the lack of initial resources allocated to the State Board of Parole and the Division of Criminal Justice for achieving the mandated changes, combined with resource and data-capacity limitations faced by the Board, has resulted in a significant lag in initial compliance with the requirements of this annual report. Subsequent legislation has provided additional support to the ongoing compliance activities conducted by the DCJ and the DOC. This will enable the continuation of efforts to comply with the relevant legislative mandates regarding the design and implementation of the technology and processes needed to reach the required goals. Appended provisions of the relevant legislation