A prison sentence alone does not tell a Texas family when someone will be released. Parole eligibility depends on the offense date, the offense of conviction, the sentence and the laws that apply to that case.

Parole is the discretionary release of a person to serve the remainder of a sentence under community supervision. Eligibility means the Board of Pardons and Paroles may review the case; it does not mean the board must approve release.

Good-conduct time may count toward eligibility for some offenses, while people convicted of specified aggravated or otherwise excluded offenses must serve required calendar time. Some convictions are ineligible for parole entirely. Mandatory supervision is a separate release process, and not every person qualifies for it.

Multiple sentences, enhancements and changes in Texas law can make informal calculations unreliable. The parole rules in effect on the date of the offense are especially important.

Families should use TDCJ’s inmate-search information for the current eligibility date and contact the agency’s Classification and Records office about time calculations. They should not treat a projected release date, maximum-expiration date or parole-eligibility date as interchangeable.

Sources: Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles — parole and mandatory supervision; TDCJ — parole eligibility and release-date definitions.