Parole board denies release for one inmate, revokes parole for several others and orders treatment or transfer where appropriate

The Committee on Parole considered a full docket of parole reviews and revocation hearings on a single morning, denying parole for one applicant and revoking parole for multiple supervised people after reviewing arrest reports, victim statements and facility records.

Chair Carolyn Stapleton opened the session and led reviews of individual cases, citing police reports, victim statements and prior revocation history as the basis for several revocation votes. “My vote is going to be to revoke you today based upon past history and present accusations,” Stapleton said during the hearing of a parolee the board found in violation of supervision conditions.

In one of the more contested interviews, the board denied parole to Jonathan Weller (DOC #776689), who acknowledged a conviction for molestation of a juvenile and described participation in facility programming. Facility staff and family members described Mr. Weller’s work as a tutor and his certifications, and his wife told the board the family has a re-entry plan including counseling and transportation. Board members said the housing facility did not offer an on-site sex-offender-treatment program or required pre-release classes, and they cited victim impact, law-enforcement opposition and the inmate’s limited time served as reasons to deny release. Stapleton said the board would deny parole while requesting that DOC transfer Mr. Weller to a facility that can provide sex-offender treatment and the 100 hours of pre-release programming the board generally expects before release.

The board also reviewed multiple alleged rule violations tied to criminal activity, drug possession and failure to comply with supervision. Several people admitted to some allegations; others disputed elements of the reports. For example, Brandon Duhorn (DOC 629793) admitted to a set of narcotics- and weapons-related charges and the board voted to revoke parole. John Nathan Truit (DOC 520153) acknowledged substance-use problems and partial admissions to misdemeanor offenses; rather than immediate revocation the board voted to send him to a long-term DOC inpatient substance-abuse program in lieu of revocation, contingent on his completion of treatment.

In other cases the panel revoked parole after finding a preponderance of evidence of criminal conduct. The board revoked parole for Joseph A. Granger Jr. following multiple theft-related charges and documentary evidence; it revoked parole for Eddie Wilts after prosecutors and deputies reported drug quantities and other allegations tied to his residence; and it revoked parole for Marcus Reed after finding a firearm in a location the board said provided him access. The board also revoked parole for Ricky Darren Carter after staff presented video and transaction records the panel said supported allegations of falsified tickets and theft.

Not every hearing ended in revocation. The panel declined to revoke Roshan Robinson’s parole after a domestic incident that resulted in a plea to simple battery; instead, the board voted to keep Robinson on supervision with a special condition requiring domestic-abuse counseling and invited family participation. And the panel continued one case (Jawan Harvin) when the inmate’s chosen private attorney had not appeared and the panel granted a short continuance to allow counsel to participate.

The board repeatedly emphasized two practical limits in its deliberations: (1) parole supervision is constrained by what programming is available at the inmate’s current facility, and (2) the presence of a firearm or credible evidence of ongoing criminal activity typically tips the board toward revocation. For several inmates the board ordered DOC to move them to facilities that provide particular programming (sex-offender treatment or long-term inpatient substance-abuse care) when available.

The board’s stated next steps were procedural: transfer requests, referrals to DOC programming, and the standard post-hearing paperwork. Where parole was revoked, board members said the offender would serve the remainder of the sentence or the time specified by applicable rules; where treatment was ordered in lieu of revocation, release would depend on successful completion and program availability.

Votes at a glance: the board denied parole for Jonathan Weller; revoked parole for the parolees identified in the record as Mr. Jackson, Brandon Duhorn, Joseph A. Granger Jr., Eddie Wilts, Brandon (Kohler), Ricky Carter and Marcus Reed; sent John Nathan Truit to inpatient substance-abuse treatment in lieu of revocation; continued Jawan Harvin’s hearing to allow retained counsel to appear; and left Roshan Robinson on supervision with an added requirement of domestic-abuse counseling.

The Committee on Parole will forward relocation/transfer requests and treatment referrals to the Department of Corrections for implementation when facilities and programs are available. Where criminal charges remain pending in local court, the board recorded the court dates and will treat those outcomes as new evidence if the records change.