Parole & Prison Release

• Representation in Matters Pending with the Board of Pardons & Paroles and the Department of Corrections
• Appeals

Over the years, I have represented a number of prison inmates before the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. While it is important for these clients to understand that the Board has total discretion over their fates, I have used my best efforts to successfully reunite many families torn apart by a loved one's unfortunate circumstances. Not all appeals to the Board are successful. So much depends on the details of the crime for which an inmate is convicted. That's why I find an in-depth initial interview with an inmate or family member critical prior to accepting a parole case. Following that interview, I try to determine whether or not the Board will give the case a second look. In some instances, the answer is yes while in others, any efforts would be futile.

The Department of Corrections and the Parole Board share a symbiotic relationship regarding those who are incarcerated. While they share information, sometimes critical information can get overlooked by one or the other, affecting an inmate's ultimate date of release. I work with both the Department of Corrections and the Parole Board to ensure sentence calculations are correct and that my clients are given every opportunity for early release.

Here are some guidelines for any inmate who feels the need to hire an attorney to ensure they are released appropriately:

• In the majority of cases, the Georgia Department of Pardons and Paroles uses the sentencing guidelines from trial to determine a release date.
• If an inmate receives a DR (disciplinary reprimand) while incarcerated, weeks or months can be added to his or her initial release date. The more serious the infraction, the less likely the Board of Pardons and Paroles will be to reduce the inmate’s sentence.
• Once the term of a court that sentenced an inmate is over, the trial court loses its jurisdiction over that inmate. That makes it all the more important that once convicted, an inmate should make sure he or she has complete a understanding of his or her sentence(s) including whether any credit was to be given for time served in a county facility while awaiting trial or post conviction.
• The Parole Board will not go behind a jury verdict to release an inmate but will, in all likelihood, require that inmate to serve what the jury has recommended. However, after one-third of a sentence has been served, good behavior while incarcerated along with other factors can mean the difference in early parole or not.