Data Source: The grades are based on a number of factors, including: 1. Whether a state’s legislature allows the parole board to offer discretionary parole to most people sentenced today; (20 pts.), 2. The opportunity for the person seeking parole to meet face-to-face with the board members and other factors about witnesses and testimony; (30 pts.), 3. The principles by which the parole board makes its decisions; (30 pts.), 4. The degree to which staff help every incarcerated person prepare for their parole hearing; (20 pts.), and 5. The degree to which the parole board is transparent in the way it incorporates evidence-based tools. (20 pts.). States could also score additional points or lose additional points based on unique policies and practices that help or hinder the success of people who have been released on parole. This report relies heavily on the publications of the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Minnesota, which centralize many important det. (Map: Peter Wagner, 2019)

This map originally appeared in Grading the parole release systems of all 50 states.