January 28, 2005
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State forced to release hundreds of inmates early
Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN — Texas has been forced to release more than 500 inmates from prison since August because the state didn’t give them proper advance notice of their parole hearings.
The releases have been forced by a 2004 court ruling that said Texas has violated inmates’ due process rights by not giving them enough time to present the state parole board with evidence to bolster their case.
Most of those released have been inmates serving short sentences for nonviolent drug or property crimes and would have likely qualified for early release anyway, said Carl Reynolds, general counsel for the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.
Comments (1)
Texas has been releasing prisoners for nearly 10 years because we’ve run out of places to house them. Incarceration: the fastest growing industry in the state.