Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole FAQ: Overview

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Can you give me a quick overview of how the Board of Probation and Parole works and what it does?

The public is familiar with most of our public servants, including police officers and firefighters, who have visible and vital roles in providing for public safety. But one group you may not be as familiar with is the Board of Probation and Parole (BOPP). The BOPP is an independent State Commission governed by a seven member Board, all appointed by the Governor. The Board is charged with the responsibility of deciding which felony offenders will be granted parole and released from incarceration to community-based supervision. Along with the supervision of those granted parole, the Board is also responsible for supervising felony offenders who are placed on probation by Criminal Courts. Charles Traughber has been appointed by the Governor to serve as Chairman of the Board.

The Mission of the Board of Probation and Parole is “to minimize public risk and promote lawful behavior by the prudent, orderly release and community supervision of adult offenders, at the least cost to taxpayers.”

It might surprise some people to know that the BOPP is responsible for the supervision of over 44,500 offenders in Tennessee (7,987 parolees; 36,611 probationers). Approximately 5,700 additional offenders are in Community Correction Programs, which also fall under the BOPP.

Over 14,500 parole hearings were held during the 2002-03 fiscal year. In many cases, parole hearings are conducted by Hearing Officers. Parole Hearing Officers are appointed by the Chair of the Board of Probation and Parole to conduct hearings and make non-binding recommendations for review by Board members. Final parole hearing decisions are exclusively under the purview and actions of Board members. For the more serious offenders, Board members conduct the hearings.

Pursuant to statute, three concurring votes by the Board constitute a final parole decision for some conviction offenses, while four concurring votes are required for more violent conviction offenses. Two concurring votes are required to revoke parole. The Board has also been designated by the Governor to review all clemency requests using specific criteria established by the Executive office. The Board, in hearing clemency cases, submits non-binding recommendations for consideration by the Governor.

A profile of offenders under Parole or Probation supervision during 2002-2003 is as follows:
                            Probationers(36,611)     Parolees(7,987)
Sex
                Male                         28,414                    6,993
            Female                            8,197                       994

Race
               Black                         13,916                    4,305
               White                         21,828                    3,560
               Other/Unknown              867                        122
Mean Age                                     33.9                      37.9

Probation and Parole Officers carry out supervision of men and women on probation or parole. Among their duties are to supervise and monitor the conduct, behavior and progress of probationers and parolees assigned to them for supervision. They also report to the Court and the Board on the progress of offenders under their supervision. Any violation of parole or probation is a potential cause for revocation of their probation or parole. Generally, each officer carries a caseload of about 85 offenders.

Probation and Parole Officers are also authorized to prepare and submit a variety of investigative reports. Pre-sentence reports are submitted to the criminal courts to assist them in determining sentence and range of punishment for offenders and to determine eligibility of offenders for probation and parole. Classification reports are prepared and submitted to the Department of Corrections to assist in determining appropriate placement of offender within state institutions. Probation/Parole officers also prepare release plan investigations to provide relevant information to the Parole Board when considering offenders for parole. During FY 2002-03, Officers completed 13,427 investigative reports and investigated 4,511 release plans.

Too often people do not hear of the efforts of the BOPP unless an offender under supervision does something to violate the condition of their probation or parole. The tens of thousands of successfully supervised offenders living and working in our communities most often go unnoticed.

People need to know that there are a dedicated group of Board members and staff members working diligently to allow for the successful supervision of offenders with as little intrusion on your life as possible. They go about their work in a professional, mostly unrecognized manner, always striving to minimize public risk while promoting lawful behavior and the positive rehabilitation efforts of adult offenders.

The BOPP works very closely with the numerous Court systems, the Department of Corrections and their partners, several levels of law enforcement agencies and a variety of community programs. The BOPP maintains a coordinated and cooperative effort with many partners in striving to successfully fulfill the agency’s mission.

Having the ability to place many offenders under BOPP supervision instead of housing them in a Tennessee Department of Correction facility at the rate of $49.56 per day, results in an annual estimated total savings to the State of $573,206,950 (cost avoidance). Offenders sentenced to Community Corrections Programs instead of Department of Correction facilities or jail sites also have an annual cost avoidance to the State of $57,237,475.