Divisions

The Board of Parole Hearings, is comprised of the executive office and six divisions.

Executive Office

The Executive Office is comprised of the Executive Officer, Chief Deputy Program Operations, Chief Deputy Field Operations and the Workforce Operations. The Executive Officer is the administrative head of the Board, is responsible for managing the daily operations and implementing policies. The Workforce Operations assists the Board’s units, programs and sections with work-flow efficiencies and optimization; to develop system tools to monitor and track compliance with remedial plans, permanent injunctions, court orders and Board procedures; and to liaison with CDCR entities, governmental agencies and plaintiffs’ counsel.

Program Operations Division

Program Operations consist of Administrative Operations, Executive Analysis, and Scheduling Units. The Administrative Operations Unit is comprised of the Budgets and Accounting Unit, Contracts and Procurement Unit, Personnel and Training Unit, Administrative Services and Facilities Unit, and the Correspondence Unit. The Administrative Operations Division plans, organizes, and coordinates the fiscal management and human resources of the Board. Executive Analysis Unit monitors and tracks compliance with remedial plans, maintains improvements and updates to the Board’s website as well as data research for internal and external entities. The Scheduling Unit coordinates the scheduling, notification to various stakeholders, and document preparation for parole suitability hearings, Youth Offender parole suitability hearings, Elderly Offender parole suitability hearings, Nonviolent Offender parole suitability hearings for indeterminately sentenced offenders, medical parole hearings and Penal Code Section 3000.1 or 3000(b)(4) parole reconsideration hearings. 

Hearings Division

The Hearings Division conducts parole suitability hearings, Youth Offender hearings, Elderly Offender hearings, Nonviolent Parole hearings for indeterminately sentenced offenders, Medical Parole hearings, consultations, commitment hearings for Offenders with a Mental Disorder and Penal Code Section 3000.1 or 3000(b)(4) parole reconsideration hearings.  It also includes the ADA Compliance Unit and the Central Office Calendar, a clearinghouse and source of information regarding on-going cases. Additionally, it is responsible for placement of holds pursuant to the Offenders with Mental Health Disorders law and the Sexually Violent Predator law.

Legal Division

The Legal Division advises BPH management and program staff regarding compliance with applicable regulations and law; provides extensive decision review of Board hearing decisions for legal sufficiency and recommends modifications as necessary; assists with training Board commissioners and deputy commissioners; and provides legal support for drafting proposed regulations or regulation amendments and statutes. The legal team also oversees litigation, habeas petitions and all legal challenges to Board operations, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. The legal team also supports compliance monitoring activities relating to court orders and provides legal support services to all of the Board divisions as needed.

Investigations & Reentry Screening Division (IRSD)

The Investigations & Reentry Screening Division (IRSD) provide review, evaluation and summary through an investigation process for the following types of investigations:

Pardons – A California Governor’s pardon is an honor traditionally granted only to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary behavior following conviction. The granting of a full pardon entitles the applicant to exercise some of the civil and political rights of citizenship that were lost as a result of the conviction. Any person who has been convicted of a felony, or a specified misdemeanor sex offense, in California may apply to the Governor for a pardon. Persons living within California must apply through the Certificate of Rehabilitation (CR) process in their county of residence. Those outside of California, and some specified sex offenders who are not eligible for a CR, must apply directly to the Governor under the direct pardon process. These latter cases must be reviewed by the full Board, and the Board forwards a recommendation to the Governor. To obtain further information about the pardon application process, please visit the Pardons page from the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Board Investigations – Hearing panels of the Board request investigations on incarcerated persons housed in state facilities who will be or are being considered for parole. These investigation reports range from following up on possible mitigating circumstances identified in documentation hearings of life parole suitability hearings, to determining individual culpability in the commitment offense, or gathering additional information regarding the crime, criminal history, or behavior while incarcerated.

Governor’s Investigations – Information/data required for this type of investigation varies depending on the type of investigation and specifics of the request. These cases can include clemency requests based on innocence or special circumstances.

Death Penalty Investigations – Upon receipt of a petition for clemency, the Governor may request that the Board investigate and make a recommendation to assist in determining whether to grant a reprieve or executive clemency. Persons currently on condemned status are listed on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website.

Out-of-State Investigations – These requests occur as a result of an interstate compact agreement when a California resident requests a gubernatorial pardon from another state. The state requests that the Board submit a pre-pardon investigation report in order that it might make a decision on the applicant’s suitability.

Intimate Partner Battering/Battered Woman Syndrome Investigations – Investigations into the probability that an incarcerated person’s crime was the result of domestic violence or Intimate Partner Battering/Battered Woman Syndrome may be initiated upon the request of the Governor or the Board. Information is gathered by the IRSD and a report is submitted to the Board for consideration. The Board may then make a recommendation to the Governor regarding clemency.

Pre-Parole Investigations – Upon receiving a parole grant of a life term incarcerated person, information is gathered to assess the verity of the parole plans as presented to the panel during the parole suitability hearing. The IRSD completes the parole plans which are sent to the Division of Adult Parole Operations for review and community placement finalization.

International Prisoner Transfer Program Investigations – Authority to approve transfers of foreign citizen incarcerated persons to their native countries to serve the remainder of their prison terms is delegated to the Executive Officer of the Board of Parole Hearings by the Governor under the provisions of Government Code Section 12012.1. Factors that affect the transfer eligibility of foreign citizen incarcerated persons include the circumstances of their crime, the policies of other nations, the lack of treaty between the United States (U.S.) and their country of nationality, or the eligibility requirements of international treaties (the first of which is that incarcerated persons must willingly volunteer to be considered for transfer).

California supports the concept of transferring foreign national incarcerated persons, especially if it will enhance their rehabilitation and successful re-entry to society. To obtain further information about the transfer treaty program, please read the International Prisoner Transfer Treaty Program brochure, available from the US Department of Justice, in English or Spanish. The US Department of State also maintains current Embassy contact information.

Forensic Assessment Division (FAD)

The Forensic Assessment Division (FAD) provides the Board’s suitability hearing panels with Comprehensive Risk Assessments (CRA) to assist in understanding a long-term incarcerated person’s potential for future violence and protective factors that could mitigate their risk if released to the community. FAD forensic psychologists use evidence-based risk assessment tools to present hearing panels with their structured professional judgment, or expert opinion, concerning each person’s potential risk for future violence. FAD forensic psychologists’ expert opinion includes findings from the forensic clinical interview of a person and a comprehensive review of their institutional record. Comprehensive Risk Assessments may include but are not limited to, evaluation of the person’s commitment offense, institutional programming, past and present mental state, relapse prevention plan, and analysis of static and dynamic risk factors based on the person’s behaviors and relationships, emotions and attitudes, and perceptions and attributions. Youthful Offender and Elderly Parole criteria are considered in the risk assessment for those who qualify.  

Additionally, the FAD conducts structured clinical screening of individuals to determine whether they may qualify as Sexually Violent Predators (SVP). The Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Law requires CDCR and the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to undergo special parole proceedings for SVP incarcerated persons.   If as a result of this structured clinical screening, the FAD forensic psychologist determines that the person is likely to be a sexually violent predator, the person is referred to the State Department of State Hospitals for a full evaluation of whether the person meets full criteria in Section 6600 WIC.

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BPH Units

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