If you’re serving a prison sentence, parole may be your way out, but it all depends on your parole board hearing.

A lot of factors come into play when determining your eligibility for parole. Staying on top of all these factors throughout your period of incarceration is the best thing you can do to give yourself a strong chance.

That’s why in this blog post, we’re going to break down how exactly parole works, everything you’ll be evaluated on, and why it may be worthwhile to hire an attorney to represent you at your AL parole hearing.

Understanding parole

Parole is a conditional opportunity for you to apply to leave prison after either one-third of your prison sentence or 10 years, depending on which of these is shorter. For violent or class A felony offenders, that length of time increases to 85% of your sentence.

This isn’t the same as being freed early, as in the case of a pardon. For the remaining duration of your sentence, you’ll be supervised by an assigned parole officer.

Parole comes with certain rules you’ll need to follow, including regular check-ins with your parole officer. Failing to follow them may result in parole revocation, in which case you’re sent back to prison for the rest of your sentence.

For more information pertaining to specific circumstances like youthful offender cases, split sentences, and denied parole applications in Alabama, read through the state’s parole FAQs.

Tips to prepare for your parole hearing

You should prepare to apply for parole from the moment of your sentencing, because the factors you’ll be evaluated on begin to take effect from that point forward.

To break it down in detail, the best ways to actively prepare to apply for parole include:

• Taking rehabilitation and self-improvement opportunities: Your attempts at rehabilitation, likelihood to reoffend, and any opinions of your victims are all taken into account during your hearing. Completing the minimum sentence for the crime you were convicted of and pursuing an education can help with all of these, as they display a recognition of the offense and genuine desire to contribute positively to the community.
• Staying out of trouble: Your disciplinary record will play a role in your parole board hearing, so it’s important that you keep it as clean as possible during your incarceration. This will be relevant when the panel evaluates your likelihood to commit another crime upon release.
• Getting votes of confidence in your favor: Pre-release counseling, a mental health evaluation, and support from witnesses will all help make your chances of parole more likely.

Hiring an attorney

You aren’t required to have a lawyer for your parole board hearing, but it’s strongly recommended that you do.

Many criminal defense attorneys benefit from a significant amount of experience representing defendants through parole hearings. That experience can make a serious difference when it comes to building and presenting your case for parole. A knowledgeable attorney knows which elements of your particular case will make the biggest difference in the eyes of the parole board, giving you that much better of a chance to leave prison early.

Let Maxwell Tillman help you through AL parole hearing

If you’re planning on applying for parole in Alabama, retain the services of the expert legal team at Maxwell Tillman - Trial Lawyers.

Our attorneys have developed a strong understanding of the state and federal laws most relevant to helping you get the favorable result you’re looking for during your AL parole hearing. Reach out to us at 205-216-3304 or through our online contact form.