Parole Hearing Coaching

How to Get an Inmate Out of Prison the Right Way

By: C. David Patterson, Ed Haych

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Parole Hearing Coaching is a guidebook for the friends and family of an incarcerated individual to assist getting a loved one ready for an interview with the Parole Board.

Most parole board interviews last between 15 and 30 minutes, but the preparation needed by the inmate can take months or years. It is important that friends and family know and understand these preparation steps and the questions the inmate may be asked.

Ultimately, the inmate must do the work. But their assistants on the outside, friends and family, can coach them to achieve parole and release with the information in this book.

The Friends and Family chapter explains how to communicate with an inmate, build a support network, how to stay organized, why they should listen to public parole hearing calls on the phone, how to communicate with an inmate’s attorney, and how to write and when to send letters or support to the parole board.

The Inmate Work chapter explains inmate timelines beyond sentencing, when to file for Post-Conviction Relief (PCR), how to learn about the required courses an inmate must take, what an inmate recall dates means, and whether to write letters to the state Governor or Ombudsman.

The “Internet Tools and AI to Help the Inmate” chapter discusses how to use AI tools and search engines to find information, how to search public court records, and use newspaper search archives.

The “Cleaning Up and Making Things Right” chapter explains how to try to dispose of outstanding warrants in other states, how to deal with student loans, or whether it’s a good idea to file for bankruptcy.

The “Vital Documents and Services” chapter has a checklist for friends and family to use to act as financial statutory power of attorney, how to obtain a birth certificate, who should obtain a Social Security card, what happens to EBT, what to do with a cell phone, and how to manage an inmate’s bank account.

The “Setting Up the Inmate for Success” chapter touches on obtaining a AA or NA sponsor, contacting local services, coming up with employment possibilities, and considering living arrangements.

The “Parole Board Hearing” chapter explains what the inmate must do to prepare for the hearing, the typical questions from the Parole Board, what to expect with a victim impact statement, and why the inmate should write their own prepared statement.

The “After the Parole Board Hearing” chapter talks about successful hearings, unsuccessful hearings, and what happens if the inmate has trouble after release.

Author C. David Patterson says:

In my years of talking with the friends and family of the incarcerated, as well as prison inmates, I discovered that nearly everybody was operating from a place of total inexperience.

Parole Hearing Coaching should be considered a “starting off point” for friends and family. It’s a way to lead people in what I consider “the right direction”.

The goal, of course, is to get your friend or family member out of prison, and for them to never to go back.