The provision of the bill that is the subject of this analysis would amend the Texas Government Code and require the Board of Pardons and Parole (Parole Board) to release offenders who would otherwise serve their entire sentence to be reintroduced into society through a supervised reentry program.   Offenders who are eligible for release on parole or mandatory supervision would be eligible for this program.  The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the Parole Board would be required to work together to define the requirements of the supervised reentry program. Such a program would require a parole panel to order the release of an offender to the supervised reentry program either one year before the date on which the offender would discharge his sentence, or the date on which the offender would have served 90 percent of his sentence (whichever is later).  The offender’s release date would be determined by the actual calendar time the offender served, without consideration of good conduct time.

A simulation model using fiscal year 2010 releases estimates that there will be decreased demand on bed capacity.  The simulation model estimates the number of days released early into supervised reentry for each inmate. Over the five-year period of this analysis the average number of days released to supervised reentry increases each year, ranging from 119 days in fiscal year 2012 to 267 days in fiscal year 2016.  For this analysis, offenders released to supervised reentry are released regardless of disciplinary status.
 
Assuming that sentencing patterns and release policies not addressed in this bill remain constant, the probable impact of implementing the provisions of the bill during each of the first five years following passage, in terms of daily demand upon the adult corrections agencies, is estimated as follows: