Understanding the Georgia parole process can be confusing, especially for families who are trying to help someone they love to come home. Many people expect parole to involve a courtroom-style hearing where family members or an attorney appear in front of the Board and argue for release. In most Georgia parole cases, that is not how the process works.
Attorney Abbi S. Taylor known as The Parole Goddess helps families understand where their loved one is in the Georgia parole process, what the Board may be reviewing, and what information may help before an important parole decision is made.
Georgia parole is usually a file-based review process. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles reviews information about the person, the conviction, the sentence, institutional conduct, risk factors, objections, and any positive information submitted on the person’s behalf. The Board then decides whether to deny parole, set a Tentative Parole Month, or take other action allowed under Georgia law.
Because the Board is reviewing a file, the quality of the information in that file matters. A strong parole presentation can make sure the Board has a complete, accurate, organized, positive, and helpful picture of the person being considered.
Step 1: Conviction and Sentence Information Are Sent to the Board
The parole process begins after conviction and sentencing. The Georgia Department of Corrections computes the sentence and sends information to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
At this stage, it is important that the sentence information is correct. Mistakes can happen. A lawyer may review whether the sentence is calculated properly whether the person is receiving the correct credit for time served, and whether the parole eligibility information appears accurate.
This does not mean every case has a sentencing-calculation problem. But when there is an error, it can affect the timing of parole review and other important decisions.
Step 2: The Case Is Initialized and the PED Is Set
After the case is opened with the Board, the person’s Parole Eligibility Date, often called the PED, is set. The PED is the date when the person first becomes eligible to be considered for parole.
The PED is not a release date. It is one third of the person's prison sentence, in most cases. It is the date by which the Board will make a decision about the person's future Tentative Parole Month.
This is one of the most common misunderstandings families have. A person may become eligible for parole on a certain date, but eligibility does not mean the Board will grant parole. It only means the person may be considered under the rules that apply to the sentence and offense. Abbi can explain this more in detail and how your loved one’s PED will be calculated.
At this stage, a legal investigation may also be carried out. Families should begin learning about the process early instead of waiting until the PED is almost here. The Board wants attorney’s presentations 6 months before the PED in case they are considered early. Abbi will notify the Board that she is working on a presentation and the Board will wait for that presentation before considering the TPM decision.
Step 3: The Board’s Investigation Begins
The parole process includes an investigation by a parole investigator. The investigator gathers case history and criminal history information and DA and victim input that becomes part of the case file reviewed by the Board.
For certain offenses, input from the District Attorney may be requested. In serious violent or sexual offense cases, there may be additional notifications and solicitation of input from district attorneys, judges, victims, or other stakeholders.
This part of the process is one reason a parole presentation can be important. If negative input, objections, or aggravating information may be part of the file, it will be helpful to submit organized, positive information that gives the Board a fuller, more fair and balanced picture.
The Board may be considering what happened in the past and in this case, but it also needs useful information about the persons background and accomplishments, who the person is now and what plans are in place for the future.
Now is the time to reach out to an experienced Georgia parole attorney like Abbi S. Taylor, who can guide you in gathering the essential information needed for your loved one’s presentation.
Step 4: Six Months Before PED, Additional Notifications May Occur
In some serious violent or sexual offense cases, additional notices may go out before the Parole Eligibility Date. These notices may involve district attorneys, judges, victims, or other interested parties.
Families are often surprised by how negative input can affect the process. A parole presentation helps counterbalance objections by showing rehabilitation, accountability, institutional progress, family support, community support, and a practical plan for success after release.
The goal is not to ignore the seriousness of the conviction. The goal is to make sure the Board receives a more complete picture of the individual as a person, before making a decision.
Step 5: The Parole Eligibility Date Arrives
The PED is an important milestone, but it is not the end of the process. When the person reaches parole eligibility, according to Georgia parole law, the Board will review the case and determine what action to take. The Board may deny parole. The Board may establish a Tentative Parole Month. In some cases, the Board may take other action depending on the sentence, offense, and applicable rules.
Families should not assume that the PED means release is about to happen. The better way to think about the PED is this: it is the point where parole consideration for a future parole date becomes possible.
Step 6: A Hearing Examiner Prepares the Case for Board Consideration
The term “Hearing Examiner” can be confusing because it may sound like there will be a live parole hearing.
In the standard Georgia parole process, this does not usually mean there is a courtroom-style hearing where family members appear and speak. The Hearing Examiner’s role is generally part of preparing the case for the Board’s internal consideration.
This is why Georgia parole terminology matters. Families may hear the word “hearing” and expect an event where they can attend, explain the situation, or speak directly to the Board. In most parole consideration cases, the stronger focus is the parole file itself, and the information submitted for Board review.
Step 4: Six Months Before PED, Additional Notifications May Occur
In some serious violent or sexual offense cases, additional notices may go out before the Parole Eligibility Date. These notices may involve district attorneys, judges, victims, or other interested parties.
Families are often surprised by how negative input can affect the process. A parole presentation helps counterbalance objections by showing rehabilitation, accountability, institutional progress, family support, community support, and a practical plan for success after release.
The goal is not to ignore the seriousness of the conviction. The goal is to make sure the Board receives a more complete picture of the individual as a person, before making a decision.
Step 5: The Parole Eligibility Date Arrives
The PED is an important milestone, but it is not the end of the process. When the person reaches parole eligibility, the Board will review the case and determine what action to take.The Board may deny parole. The Board may establish a Tentative Parole Month. In some cases, the Board may take other action depending on the sentence, offense, and applicable rules.
Families should not assume that the PED means release is about to happen. The better way to think about the PED is this: it is the point where parole consideration for a future parole date becomes possible.
Step 6: A Hearing Examiner Prepares the Case for Board Consideration
The term “Hearing Examiner” can be confusing because it may sound like there will be a live parole hearing.
In the standard Georgia parole process, this does not usually mean there is a courtroom-style hearing where family members appear and speak. The Hearing Examiner’s role is generally part of preparing the case for the Board’s internal consideration.
This is why Georgia parole terminology matters. Families may hear the word “hearing” and expect an event where they can attend, explain the situation, or speak directly to the Board. In most parole consideration cases, the stronger focus is the parole file itself, and the information submitted for Board review.
Step 7: Board Consideration
Board consideration is the point where the case is reviewed for a parole decision. The Board may consider many types of information, including:
The Board’s decision is discretionary. The parole guidelines may provide a recommendation, but the Board can disagree with the recommendation and make an independent decision. The Board always stresses that Parole is a privilege not a right. The Board can make any individual serve all of their sentence.
This is where Abbi as an experienced parole attorney will help prepare the strongest possible presentation, identify problems in the record, organize helpful documentation, and make sure the Board has information it may not otherwise gather on its own.
How the CSL and Parole Guidelines Fit Into the Process
Georgia uses parole decision guidelines to help evaluate parole cases. Two important pieces of that process are the Crime Severity Level and the risk of reoffending.
The Crime Severity Level, often called the CSL, is tied to the seriousness of the offense. The parole grid then combines the CSL with a risk category to produce a recommended amount of time to serve.
For example, lower crime severity level ratings and lower risk to reoffend cases may have a lower recommended time to serve. Higher severity and higher risk cases may have a much higher recommendation. For the most serious cases, the guideline recommendation may be expressed as a percentage of the prison sentence instead of a specific number of months.
The guidelines matter, but they do not control the final decision. The Board reserves discretion to depart from the guideline recommendation. The Board may deny parole or set a Tentative Parole Month at a different point than the grid suggests.
This is why it is important not to look at the grid in isolation. A person’s CSL, risk level, institutional conduct, objections, release plan, and positive documentation all matter.
Step 8: A Tentative Parole Month May Be Established
If the Board does not deny parole, it may establish a Tentative Parole Month, often called a TPM. A TPM is not the same as a final release date.
A TPM means the Board has tentatively identified a future month when the case may move toward release, assuming the person continues to meet the necessary conditions, had good institutional conduct and the Board does not change its decision.
The TPM may depend on institutional conduct, completion of required programs, new information, objections, and Final Review. Families should treat a TPM as encouraging but not guaranteed.
Step 9: The Person Is Notified of the Board’s TPM Decision
After the Board makes a TPM decision, the incarcerated person is notified first under Board rules. The same applies for a decision after Final Review.
Families sometimes expect the attorney to know immediately, but that may not happen. In some situations, the attorney may not be allowed to receive the decision until after the person has first been notified.
This can be frustrating for families, but it is part of the way the process works. The person in custody may find out before the family or attorney does.
Step 10: Serious Violent Felony Notification May Occur
In certain serious violent felony cases, additional victim notification may be required before release. The parole process may include notice to the district attorney or other required parties. This does not necessarily mean parole will be denied. It does mean the Board may receive additional input before release is finalized.
If the case involves a serious violent offense, family members should assume that objections or concerns may be part of the process. A parole presentation will help address those concerns by showing the person’s progress, institutional record, release plan, support system, and reasons the Board should consider release.
Step 11: Victims May Be Notified
The Office of Victim Services may notify registered victims as part of the process.
Victim input can be significant. The Board may consider victim concerns, prosecutor input, judge input, and other stakeholder information.
A parole attorney cannot erase the harm caused by the offense. But we can help present information the Board may not otherwise have, including the person’s growth, accountability, conduct, program completion, family support, and plan for living successfully after release.
Step 12: Final Review
Final Review is one of the most important stages in the Georgia parole process.
At Final Review, the Board may look at institutional conduct, program completion, new information, objections, support materials, and whether the person has continued to do what is expected while incarcerated.
A TPM can still be affected at this stage. The Board may allow the TPM to remain in place, move it, or take other action. This is why institutional conduct is so important.
Disciplinary reports can hurt a parole case. Violent disciplinary reports, allegations of gang involvement, possession of contraband including cell phones, failure to complete required programming, or other negative information may make release more difficult. On the other hand, a strong record of program completion, good conduct, work history, support, and planning will help.
Final Review is also where PIC points become important.
PIC Points and the Final Review Process
PIC points are Performance Incentive Credits. In some cases, PIC points affect whether a person receives credit toward an earlier release timeline.
PIC points do not guarantee release. The Board has discretion over whether to give credit for PIC points and how to evaluate the person’s overall record. Again, the Board stresses that PIC points are a privilege and not a right. Just because they are earned, you cannot assume the Board will award credit for them.
If someone has PIC points, it will be important to present information showing why the person should receive credit for them. That may include institutional conduct, program completion, work history, rehabilitation, and other positive achievements.
The Board may also consider whether there are reasons not to give credit, such as disciplinary issues, violent conduct, or other concerns.
Step 13: Victim and District Attorney Case Review
Before release, the case may be reviewed to verify required notifications and consider any additional input from victims, the district attorney, or other stakeholders.
This is another reason to prepare early. If a case may draw opposition, the parole presentation should not wait until the last minute. Positive documentation, release planning, family support, employment documentation, and evidence of rehabilitation should be gathered and organized before the Board makes final decisions.
Step 14: 72-Hour Notification Before Release
Before an offender is released on parole, Georgia law may require additional notice to be given. Judges, district attorneys, and registered victims may receive a 72-hour statutory notification that the offender is about to be paroled.
This notification is different from the earlier victim-notification stage, which allows registered victims to be notified when the Board is considering parole release and gives them an opportunity to submit information. The 72-hour notice happens much later in the process, when the case is much closer to actual release.
Even at this stage, families should understand that parole is not truly final until the release is completed. The Board may still receive information during this notification period, and the Board retains authority over the final parole decision up to the date of release.
Step 15: Release
If the Board approves release and all required steps are completed, the person may be released on parole.
Release on parole does not mean the sentence is over. The person must comply with parole conditions. Violating parole can lead to serious consequences, including arrest and revocation proceedings.
This is why a realistic release plan matters. A strong plan may include stable housing, employment or job leads, transportation, treatment, family support, community support, and a clear plan for avoiding people, places, or situations that could lead to trouble.
The goal is to show that the person is not simply asking to be released but is prepared to succeed.
A strong parole presentation is not just a collection of letters or documents. It should be carefully prepared around the person’s history, institutional record, release readiness, risk factors, support system, and the specific issues the Board may be reviewing.
Because every case is different, the right materials and strategy will depend on many things, including the sentence, offense, institutional conduct, parole timeline, objections, and available supporting information. It is very specific to that individual and their circumstances.
As an experienced parole attorney, Abbi will help determine what should be included, what may need to be addressed, and how the information should be organized for Board review.
Families often delay reaching out for support until the PED or TPM is right around the corner. In many cases, that is too late to do the best possible job.
A parole presentation takes time. The attorney may need to review the case, understand the sentence, identify the CSL and guideline issues, gather documentation, help family members prepare useful support materials, review institutional conduct, and organize the information into a presentation the Board can use.
In most cases, it is helpful to start a year or more before the PED or before an important Final Review date. The right timing depends on the case, the sentence, the person’s institutional record, and where the case is in the parole process. Read more on how to help a loved one get parole.
One mistake is assuming the PED is a release date. It is not. The PED only means the person is eligible for parole consideration of a future Tentative Parole Month.
Another mistake is assuming the Board will gather all positive information on its own. The Board reviews the court and DAs files, but it does not have the full picture of the person’s growth, support system, release plan, or accomplishments unless that information is prepared and submitted.
Another mistake is waiting too long. If objections, disciplinary issues, program requirements, or Final Review are coming up, the family may need time to gather documentation and address concerns.
Families may also focus only on emotional letters. Support is important, but the most helpful materials are usually specific, organized, and tied to the person’s success after release. The Board needs more than “we love him” or “she deserves another chance.” It needs useful information showing stability, accountability, support, and a realistic plan.
A parole denial is painful, but it may not be the end of the process.
Depending on the case, reconsideration may be possible. Reconsideration may be appropriate when there is new information, corrected information, additional rehabilitation, stronger release planning, proof of program completion, or other meaningful updates.
Not every case is a good candidate for reconsideration. The Board has discretion, and there are no guarantees. But if the original review did not include important positive information, or if the file contained inaccurate or incomplete information, it may be worth reviewing whether a better presentation can be made.
Attorney Abbi S. Taylor known as The Parole Goddess helps clients and families understand the Georgia parole process and prepare for important stages of review.
Her role may include:
Georgia parole can be difficult to follow because each stage has its own terminology, timing, and meaning. A person may be eligible for parole without being close to release, may have a TPM that is still subject to Final Review, or may be waiting on a future reconsideration date after parole is denied.
If your family is unsure where the case stands, The Law Firm of Abbi S. Taylor can help explain the stage of the process, what the Board may be reviewing, and what the next step may involve. Contact the firm to discuss your loved one’s place in the Georgia parole process and better understand the path forward.
If you have questions about parole or other post-conviction proceedings, we are here to help. Contact us today to schedule a case evaluation.
Over the years, we have had the honor of defending hundreds of clients in court and parole hearings. Here are just a few things they have to say about us.
Abbi is an amazing lawyer. We hired her for my dad’s parole/probation case. Abbi’s results exceeded our family’s expectations. Seeing her in action in the courtroom was inspiring. In addition, her office staff is extremely professional and responsive. Thank you, Abbi and Linda.
I originally retained Abbi to represent me before the State Board of Pardons and Parole and help me obtain an early parole date for a level 8 criminal conviction. While the Parole Board's guidelines for my crime required me to serve at least 65% of my sentence, the Parole Board granted me parole approximately 6 months early. I attribute this to the unwavering support of my family and Abbi's considerable efforts.
If I could rate Abbi Taylor@ 100 stars I would. Thank you Abbi Taylor and your staff for your professionalism, hard work and legal expertise in representing me. Your successful results with my being granted early parole was beyond all my expectations. I am thrilled and so grateful to be back home with my family and much earlier than I ever could have hoped for.
Abbi knows her stuff, is patient, thorough and compassionate. She took the time to explain the parole process in detail and provided support before, during and after the decision. I am very happy with the outcome but also the professionalism and responsiveness from Abbi and Linda. I Highly recommend this firm!
I came to Ms Taylor thinking that my criminal background was destroyed. I'm a responsible adult that made a bad decision at a very emotional time in my life. This lady has a great interaction with her clients. I was able to feel free to express what and why I needed her services. Sharp doesn't begin to describe her. I will never forget that she was sent by God to help me. You can not go wrong with Ms Taylor.
I can not speak more highly of Abbi and her abilities. I was finding myself very quickly in a quicksand situation and she was able to help come in to provide guidance, clarity and manage the situation. If you find yourself in a situation that you think even for a second might need some legal advice - please do not think to call anyone else but Abbi.
Contact our office today to begin the process of scheduling an initial case evaluation. Prior to scheduling your case evaluation, we will require the receipt of all necessary documents. Case evaluations are $250 and will be credited toward the cost of representation.
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