We, the undersigned, join with Reform Georgia 7 in urging you to pass the initiative to end excessive parole denial without due process.

Excessive Parole Release Denial is a modern-day epidemic of mass incarceration that affects millions of prisoners in the United States.  According to the 2019 Prison Policy Initiative, 1, 291, 000 people are locked up in state prisons.  As of July 2020, 53, 094 prisoners are housed in Georgia prisons.  The End Excessive Parole Denial Initiative would strengthen the state and federal law to improve parole board transparency, relative to a fair parole release. 

According  to O.C.G.A. 42-9-42, the law states that good conduct, achievement of a fifth grade level, or higher, on standardized reading tests and efficient performance of duties by an inmate, shall be considered by the board in his favor and shall merit consideration of an application for pardons or parole.  This statute guarantees, in laymen's terms, that the inmate can be considered for parole under these terms, but he is not guaranteed to be granted parole.  So, our concern involves the parole board not adhering to O.C.G.A. 42-9-42, because the policy is only about consideration of parole, but not granting parole.  In other words, this statute demands that inmates maintain good conduct in order to be considered for parole.  But when the inmates go before the parole board with good conduct, they are not granted parole.  This is an abuse of discretion because the parole board continues to set an inmate off who has good conduct.  

Georgia Parole Board contributes to hindering the successive release of parolees because of their poor policies and poor practices.   Prison Staff are not helping the incarcerated to parole.  There is no transparency in the Parole Board.  The principles and policies of the parole board, relative to parole release, are not transparent.  The person seeking parole does not have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the parole board.  Whenever there is a change in the duration of confinement, there has to be procedural due process protection, as a state created liberty interest. Unfortunately, Georgia Parole Board does not have a constitutional right to parole people.  But, when the state establishes parole, all parolees have the right to constitutional due process.

Now, we need your support for the END EXCESSIVE PAROLE DENIAL INITIATIVE, to ensure that men and women in Georgia, who are eligible for parole, are not being denied parole for the same reasons, as opposed to parole release consideration because of their performance initiative, institutional records, educational record, work record, etc.

Reform Georgia 7