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FAQs

About parole

Parole is early but conditional release from prison. A person granted parole serves the rest of their sentence in the community, under supervision and subject to conditions. If they break those conditions, they can be returned to prison.

Parole is, in essence, a risk assessment. Decision makers look at the whole person: their past, including the crime and what led to it; their present, including how they have used their time in prison; and their future, including a concrete plan for where they will live, work and find support. In Maryland, the Parole Commission must weigh factors set out in law, such as the circumstances of the crime and the likelihood that the person will live a law-abiding life if released.

A parole packet is a document that sets out a person’s strongest case for release. It typically includes a summary of the case, an advocacy letter, the person’s life story, a remorse statement, a reentry plan, letters of support, and a record of the programs and certificates they have completed. Without one, the decision maker may have only the state’s file, which focuses on the crime and not on who the person is today.

On day one. It is never too early to begin collecting certificates, work evaluations and letters of recommendation, or to start setting goals. A person with years left to serve is building their case for parole every day.

No. More than 30 states currently have parole systems, and some are more generous than others. Even where there is no parole, the same preparation is valuable for second look hearings, sentence modifications, post-conviction reviews and clemency applications, and it sets a person up for a successful reentry.

No. It is an additional tool. If you have an attorney, share your packet with them well ahead of your hearing. A packet is a tool that makes your case clearer, whoever is presenting it.

About PREPARE

PREPARE is a Maryland-based nonprofit. Our mission is to empower people to make their best case for parole and to develop and execute successful reentry plans. We provide education and materials nationwide, and direct services to people incarcerated in Maryland.

  • Anyone incarcerated in the United States can take our free parole and reentry courses on the Edovo tablet platform.
  • Family, friends, attorneys and other supporters can take the matching course through the PREPARE Academy, and download our materials free from this website.
  • People incarcerated in Maryland can also receive our direct services: workshops, parole hearing preparation, reentry planning and post-release mentoring.

All our direct services and our eLearning courses are free to incarcerated people. Resources for family members of incarcerated people are also free.

Our direct services come in three stages. PREPARE for Parole helps people understand the parole system and build a parole packet. PREPARE for Home builds an individualized reentry plan covering housing, work, health and support. PREPARE for Success provides mentoring after release from a certified peer recovery specialist.

  • Take our courses on your tablet.
  • Ask your case manager about our monthly workshops, currently held at MCI-W, Jessup Correctional Institution and Eastern Correctional Institution.
  • Visit our table at a DPSCS reentry fair to enroll for a reentry plan.
  • Write to us at PREPARE, PO Box 9738, Towson, MD 21284.

Yes, through our education. Our courses on Edovo are written for people in any state, and our materials are free to download. We are not able to offer one-to-one services outside Maryland.

Yes. In Maryland, people approaching their mandatory release date can enroll in PREPARE for Home, usually at a DPSCS reentry fair. Strong reentry planning matters just as much for people released at the end of their sentence.

All our full-time staff positions are held by people who have come home from prison, working alongside lawyers, volunteers and a board that includes former parole commissioners and a former warden. We call this collaborative justice: people who have been incarcerated and people who have worked in the system, working together.

Some of our materials are available in Spanish and Arabic. You can find them under Materials for Download.

For families, attorneys and organizations

Start with our course for supporters on the PREPARE Academy. It mirrors the course your loved one can take on their tablet, so you can work through it together. Our free downloadable guide, What You Can Do to Support a Parole Candidate, explains how to write a letter of support, help build a reentry plan and take part in an advocacy call with the Parole Commission.

Yes. We regularly consult with attorneys on parole cases, and can contribute our experience of what makes a strong parole packet. Contact us at info@prepare-parole.org.

Yes. Attorneys often have the legal expertise for a parole or second look case but not the network or the time to build a detailed reentry plan. Our reentry specialists have built hundreds of individualized plans and work with a statewide network of reentry providers. We offer reentry planning for the clients of private attorneys. Contact us at info@prepare-parole.org.

Yes. Our team members speak at conferences, universities, faith communities, training events and community gatherings on parole, reentry, second chances and collaborative justice. Most of our speakers bring first-hand experience of incarceration, parole and coming home, alongside years of professional practice. To request a speaker, email info@prepare-parole.org.

We can provide training on parole hearing preparation and reentry planning for organizations, colleges and agencies, and we share what we have learned with groups doing similar work in other states. Contact us at info@prepare-parole.org.

Yes. We welcome contact from case managers and reentry coordinators, including on challenging reentry placements. Email info@prepare-parole.org.

Supporting PREPARE

PREPARE is funded primarily by grants and individual donations. Our largest funder is the Maryland Governor’s Office for Crime Prevention and Policy.

You can make a one-time or monthly donation through our Donate page, attend our annual fundraising dinner, or volunteer with us. PREPARE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 87-3510314), so donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Yes. Volunteers help with in-person service, staff our table at reentry fairs, and support our technology and outreach. Email info@prepare-parole.org to find out about current opportunities.