Frequently Asked Questions

Difference between the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Texas Board of Criminal Justice

The primary role of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) is the discretionary release of eligible inmates sentenced to the Correctional Institutions Division to a plan of parole supervision. In addition, the Board is responsible for determining the conditions of release, imposing any special conditions for parole and mandatory supervision releasees on a case by case basis. The Parole Board also has revocation responsibilities related to parole and mandatory releasees. It also reviews requests for clemency (reprieves, commutations, pardons) and makes recommendations to the governor.

The nine member Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) is appointed by the governor to oversee the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which provides confinement, supervision, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the state's convicted felons. TBCJ members have neither jurisdiction over nor input into parole decisions.