The Parole Hearing Process from Consultation to Final Decision (California)

This Board of Parole Hearings overview traces the full timeline. The process begins five years before a person's first scheduled parole hearing, when a commissioner or deputy commissioner meets one-on-one to explain the process, the legal factors relevant to suitability, and recommendations on work assignments, programs and institutional behavior. Hearings are conducted by a panel of one or two commissioners plus a deputy commissioner, the incarcerated person is entitled to legal counsel, and victims and their families who request notification are notified at least 90 days in advance. The page lists the regulatory suitability and unsuitability factors under Title 15 section 2281 and notes the forensic risk assessment tools used. Hearings average two and a half hours and are scheduled about six months ahead; a person denied parole may petition to advance the next hearing date, and a grant is a proposed decision subject to Board review for up to 120 days and, in murder cases, gubernatorial review.