DOC caseworkers, parole board described as jointly deciding post-release placement

Department officials described a multi-step release process in which facility caseworkers assess inmate needs and make recommendations, probation and parole officers perform investigations and the Board of Pardons and Parole makes final placement decisions.

Katie Weston, a DOC official who formerly oversaw probation and parole functions, told the committee that facility staff run assessments to determine treatment needs, housing prospects and employment arrangements. She said recommendations about prerelease or treatment placements come from the facility caseworkers and then go to the parole board, which decides whether to send an individual to prerelease, treatment, or parole them directly to the community.

Weston said caseworkers may remain with an inmate through their term but that classification changes or behavior incidents can trigger moves that result in new caseworker assignments. On the timing of investigations, she said probation officers must complete investigations to verify plans and that timelines can vary by individual and plan; department policy sets internal timelines for investigators to avoid unnecessary delays.

Committee members asked what constitutes adequate preparation to release an inmate directly to the community. Weston said that a primary criterion is a stable place to live and that caseworkers look for family or other stable housing and may pursue sober-living or other community options when appropriate. "The things that would need to be in place is a place to live. That is kind of first and foremost," she said.

Lawmakers also asked about a recent statutory change referenced during the session intended to accelerate screening; department staff said the committee had previously discussed the change and that it resulted in moving an eligibility screen to 14 months in some contexts. The department agreed to provide data showing how often eligibility and release timelines have changed in practice and how long placements typically take once the inmate is deemed eligible for release.

Why it matters: Release planning and verification are central to reentry success. The committee requested concrete timelines and data to evaluate whether delays occur between eligibility, parole board action and placement.

The department will provide historical data on eligibility screening and average time from eligibility to placement or release for committee review.