Lawsuit Filed by Texas Inmate Questions ‘Arbitrary’ Parole Decisions

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A current inmate in the Mountain View Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has filed suit against three members of the Texas Criminal Justice Board of Pardons and Paroles, arguing that they have not followed the proper guidelines when determining whether to approve or deny prisoners’ parole. The lawsuit, filed without attorney representation, claims the defendants made “arbitrary” decisions to defer parole by one, two, three, or five years “with no apparent basis for the distinctions.”

The plaintiff, a first-time offender who served in the United States Army between 1996 and 2001, argues that she has shown “exemplary rehabilitation” without any incidents of violence, yet has been denied parole four times since her incarceration in 2001 because “the instant offense has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behavior.”

“The denials prove,” according to the complaint, “the Board has not looked into any of the other requirements besides nature of offense and have [sic] failed to follow established guidelines” when making parole decisions.