The Board’s COVID‑19 Response

As a result of the threat of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of all participants, on March 24, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order N-36-20 directing the Board of Parole Hearings to develop a process for conducting parole hearings by videoconference. The executive order was initially in effect for 60 days. However, the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has the authority to grant one or more 30-day extensions as needed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of inmates, staff, and other hearing participants. The secretary has extended the executive order and the Board expects to conduct parole hearings by videoconference for the foreseeable future.

During the time period parole hearings are conducted by videoconference, inmates may choose to go forward with their hearing by videoconference or request to waive or postpone their hearing. Section 2253 of the Board’s regulations states that inmates are required to show good cause for requesting to waive or postpone their hearing if there are less than 45 days remaining before the hearing date. The executive order specifically suspends this requirement. As a result, inmates may request to postpone or waive their hearing for any reason up to and including the day of their hearing while the executive order is in effect.

Inmates may waive their hearings for one to five years. Hearings that are postponed will be rescheduled as quickly as possible, taking into account the minimum period of 90 days to notice registered victims.

All hearing participants may attend by videoconference. In addition, victims and their representatives, prosecutors, and inmate counsel may also participate by telephone.

Until further notice, the Board’s monthly executive meetings will be conducted by telephone under the authority of Governor Newsom’s executive orders N-25-20 and N-29-20. All public comment will be by telephone or in writing. Please refer to the monthly executive meeting agenda for the mailing address and instructions for participating by telephone.

For more on the Board’s and CDCR’s COVID-19 Response, please visit the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation COVID-19 Response Efforts web page.

Board of Juvenile Hearings proceedings will take place as scheduled via videoconference only. Please go to the Board of Juvenile Hearings website for more information. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/juvenile-justice/juvenile-parole-board/.