Legal FAQs
How much time must be served before someone is eligible for parole?
Determining eligibility
Texas law governs how much time a prisoner must serve on their sentence before they will be eligible for parole or mandatory supervision. Page 8 of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)’s Offender Orientation Handbook states that two things affect an offender's eligibility for early release:
- The type of crime the offender was convicted of; and
- The laws in effect when the crime was committed.
Finding Texas parole & mandatory supervision laws
TDCJ’s Parole in Texas guide has parole eligibility charts for convictions dating back to 1966, beginning on page 52 of the Handbook.
Below are several resources that can help you find current and historical versions of parole and mandatory supervision law:
| Time Period | Location |
|---|---|
| Current | Please see Chapter 508 of the Texas Government Code, specifically Section 508.145 and Section 508.149. |
|
2004 – present |
The Texas Legislature's website has a collection of historic laws that date back to 2004. Use the Statutes by Date feature to search and browse these laws. |
| 1985 – 2003 |
The laws for these years are not currently available freely online. To obtain copies, please submit a request to the library for assistance. See our Document Delivery page for our current fee schedule. |
|
1879 – 1984 |
To find older parole and mandatory supervision laws, use the library’s Historical Texas Statutes page. |
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Last updated March 8, 2024
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Note The library cannot tell you what the law means for your situation.
