The Indiana Parole Board regularly conducts three main types of hearings:
Parole Revocation Hearings, Parole Review Hearings, and Clemency Hearings
Parole Revocation Hearings (or Parole Violation)
A Parole Revocation Hearing, also referred to as a parole violation hearing, takes place when a parolee is alleged to have violated the conditions of parole and has been returned to a DOC facility pending resolution of that violation. The Parole Board conducts a hearing to determine whether the parolee is guilty or not guilty of the alleged violations and if they are found guilty, whether they will be reinstated to parole or revoked for the balance of their sentence. A parolee is given the opportunity to explain the circumstances of any allegations and submit any documentation or evidence on their own behalf. All evidence should be received by the Parole Board prior to the hearing. If parole is revoked and the incarcerated individual will not reach their parole release date (PRD) within a year of the parole revocation hearing, the incarcerated individual will have an opportunity to appear for a review hearing in one (1) year.
Parole Review Hearings
A parole review hearing is conducted annually after an incarcerated individual’s parole is revoked. The purpose of the hearing is to determine if an incarcerated individual should be granted a new period of parole by the Parole Board. The incarcerated individual is given the opportunity to speak on their own behalf. The review process includes a review of the facts of the paroling offense, the individual’s criminal history, and the individual’s record of institutional conduct for the last year. The case manager assigned to the incarcerated individual will prepare a progress report to provide to the Parole Board. Additionally, the incarcerated individual should be prepared to discuss programs they have participated in throughout the last year as well as any re-entry plans that they have made in preparation for their new period of parole. The Parole Board will consider all correspondence regarding the offender, both in favor of granting parole and in opposition to granting parole, as long as the correspondence is received in a timely manner.
Clemency Hearings
The Indiana Parole Board serves as a fact-finding commission for clemency hearings on behalf of the Indiana Governor’s Office. Petitions of offenders sentenced under laws other than IC 35-50, except those with life sentence, may be considered for clemency after the offender has served sixty (60) months on the sentence. Petitions of offenders sentenced under IC 35-50, except those sentenced to life in prison and who have sentences in excess of ten (10) years, may be considered after the offender has served sixty (60) months and/or one-third (1/3) of the sentence. However, petitions of offenders sentenced under IC 35-50, except those sentenced to life in prison or to death, with a sentence exceeding sixty (60) years may be considered after the offender has served twenty (20) years on the sentence. An offender sentenced under IC 35-50 who has an executed sentence of ten (10) years or less is not eligible to petition for clemency while incarcerated. Written communications in support or opposition of the incarcerated individual may be emailed to clemency-pardon-inquiries@idoc.in.gov.
Public Attendance
Members of the public may attend hearings in person at the Parole Board office, or at the facility (subject to facility regulations and policies). If wanting to appear in person, the Parole Board requests at least 24 hours’ notice prior to the hearing to ensure that those wishing to be present do not miss the hearing. Accommodations cannot be made once hearings are in session. Those in attendance will not be able to speak to the Board. Written communications in support or opposition of the incarcerated individual may be submitted to the Parole Board office at 402 W. Washington Street, Room W466. Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204 or by emailing to IPBAdminAssistants@idoc.in.gov. Please include the incarcerated individual’s name and DOC number on all correspondence.
Applications and Instructions for Pardons
Indiana has adopted recent legislation regarding the expungement of criminal records. If you qualify, this process is often quicker than the pardon process and provides many of the same benefits of a pardon. For more information regarding expungement, please contact an Indiana criminal defense attorney or the clerk in the county where your conviction occurred. To apply for a Pardon, download the below Pardon Packet and complete the steps indicated on pages one (1) through three (3). Once completed, mail all documents to the Parole Board office at 402 W. Washington Street, Room W466. Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204.
The content of the following was prepared by the Parole Board based on information supplied by the Department of Correction and is believed to be complete and accurate at the time of preparation. The Parole Board is not responsible for any errors contained in the information supplied to the Parole Board by the Department of Correction.