Data Source: See Appendix Table 2 of this report for state parole data sources. (Graph: Leah Wang, 2025)
This graph originally appeared in Parole in Perspective: How parole decisions are made.
Of the 35 states which have discretionary parole for many or most prison sentences, 30 states had hearing data over the same time period. A green line indicates an increase in the number of parole hearings from the earliest to the latest year of available data.
Events
- July 1, 2026:
On July 1, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST, join the Prison Policy Initiative and guests Jodi Hocking, Executive Director of Return Strong Nevada, and Taj Mahon-Haft PhD, Director of The Humanization Project, as they discuss the importance of family connections, highlight the ways they are under attack, and share strategies to help families fight back.
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