Board of Parole Hearings
The Board of Parole Hearings conducts parole suitability hearings and nonviolent offender parole reviews for adult inmates under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The duties of the Board also include:
- Conducting medical parole hearings
- Reviewing and conducting hearings for Offenders with a Mental Health Disorder (Formerly known as Mentally Disordered Offenders).
- Review of sexually violent predators
- Investigating requests for pardons, reprieves, and commutations of sentence
- Processing foreign prisoner transfer requests
The Board’s workforce includes 21 commissioners, appointed by the Governor and subject to senate confirmation, deputy commissioners, forensic clinical psychologists, investigators, and administrative and legal staff.
The Board’s commissioners meet once a month to conduct an Executive Board meeting that is open to the public. Any member of the public may comment on Board-related business at an Executive Board meeting, although comments regarding specific cases are limited to those listed on the meeting agenda. Comments regarding pending cases not on the agenda should be directed to the institution where the incarcerated person is housed. Meeting agendas are published at least 10 days in advance of the Executive Board meeting.
Our Mission
The mission of the Board of Parole Hearings is to protect and preserve public safety while ensuring due process to all persons who come under the Board’s jurisdiction.
Our Goals
- To maintain a high performing and professional parole hearing and review system that protects California’s communities and is fair to all adult offenders.
- To ensure and develop programs that promote shared responsibility for community safety and provide meaningful participation for parties interested in parole hearings and reviews.
- To allocate financial resources and personnel in an effective and efficient manner consistent with the Board’s mandates and the laws of the state.
- To develop preventive strategies to minimize legal challenges to the Board’s decisions.
BPH Contact Information
Please submit all inquiries or letters of support and/or opposition to:
Board of Parole Hearings
Post Office Box 4036
Sacramento, CA 95812-4036
Telephone: 916-445-4072
Email Address: BPH.CorrespondenceUnit@cdcr.ca.gov