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Commission provides parole board with quarterly analytical reports showing high guideline conformity and grant rates
Summary
The commission said it has developed quarterly and annual analytical reports for the State Parole Board showing grant rates by offense type and a conformity rate above 80 percent; staff also described individual board member comparisons for self‑review.
The commission reported June 11 that it has produced quarterly management reports for the Pennsylvania State Parole Board that show grant rates, conformity with parole guidelines, and individual board‑member decision comparisons intended to support fair and consistent decision‑making.
Deputy director Matt Wyman and staff described the reports as a management tool the board requested under the data‑sharing agreement. The quarterly charts show grant rates around 40% for violent cases and about 55% for nonviolent cases, with conformity (decisions consistent with guideline recommendations) exceeding 80% in recent quarters. Wyman and staff said the reports compare current quarter results to the prior three quarters to flag trend changes.
The reports also include ready access to case characteristics, a preparedness index and risk information for each case, and a matrix that shows grant rates by risk and preparedness cells. Staff added an annual individual report for each board member to compare that member’s decisions to the aggregate board on grant rate, conformity and specific factors; the report displays a board member’s pattern against the aggregate and shows reasons for deviations so members can reflect on decision patterns.
Chairman Fox (commenting in his capacity as Parole Board chair during the presentation) praised the reports as useful for producing data on whether grant and denial decisions are being made consistently across demographic and case characteristics and called the reports “very, very valuable.” Staff said the Parole Board has received two quarterly reports and responded positively to the presentation at the board’s retreat.
Ending: The commission will continue to produce the quarterly parole reports, include descriptive trend comparisons and provide the Parole Board with individual annual reports to support internal review and training.
