Description

The Massachusetts Parole Board (“the Parole Board”) is the sole decisional authority in the Commonwealth for matters of parole granting and parole revocation.  The Parole Board has jurisdiction over individuals committed to state or county correctional facilities for terms of sixty days or more, in accordance with M.G.L. c. 127, § 128.  In Massachusetts, parole is the procedure whereby certain individuals are released prior to the expiration of their sentence, permitting the remainder of their sentence to be served in the community under supervision and subject to specific rules and conditions of behavior.  Parole Board members act in a quasi-judicial function, are appointed by the Governor, and need to be confirmed by the Governor’s Council.  It is the responsibility of the seven members of the Parole Board to guide and oversee all aspects of this 200-employee, 40 location, statewide operation.

The Parole Board, on a monthly basis, travels to all correctional facilities around the state to conduct parole hearings and render decisions on over 3,000 cases annually, to include, if, when, and how an individual will be allowed to complete their sentence in the community under supervision. These range from individuals serving sentences of 60 days in the House of Correction up to and including second-degree murderers who receive a life sentence, and those who were convicted of first-degree murder as a juvenile.

In addition, the Parole Board serves as the Advisory Board of Pardons. In this role, the Parole Board advises the Governor in matters of executive clemency, specifically pardons and commutations. This requires the conduct of quasi-judicial public hearings and the submission of written opinions to the Governor in support of Advisory Board recommendations.

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Requirements

Responsibilities including but not limited to:

• Conduct release, rescission and revocation hearings at all state and county correctional facilities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  This includes educating and counseling the individual on effective reentry efforts they can undertake.  The scope of the hearing/interview includes the individual’s criminal, social and substance abuse history, previous adjustment on parole or probation, conduct within the correctional institution, programming, parole plans, and other factors. Hearings are often conducted absent uniform security personnel.  A hearing/interview may also involve an attorney, the victim(s), witnesses, and other interested parties.  If the individual is granted parole, the Parole Board member sets the conditions of release.    
• The Parole Board conducts life sentence hearings at the Parole Board’s Central Office in Natick, Massachusetts. These hearings are open to the public.  There are two types of parole hearings for those serving a life sentence, initial and review.               
• In addition to institutional hearings, the Parole Board makes decisions on parole related matters that do not require in-person hearings by using documentation of the case, to provide resolution via office votes.  Examples include, but are not limited to, graduated sanctions, change of vote requests, appeals, reconsiderations and provisional rescissions and revocations.
• Parole Board members also conduct Victim Access Hearings (VAH).  Victims, family members of deceased victims, and parents/guardians of minor aged children may offer testimony at parole hearings if certified by the department of criminal justice information services and in accordance with the procedures set forth in 120 CMR 401.04.  Written statements may be submitted to the Parole Board, identifying the impact of the crime and the victim’s opinion and/or recommendation regarding parole release prior to the hearing. 
• The Parole Board, acting as the Advisory Board of Pardons, conducts hearings to advise the Governor with respect to deciding petitions for Executive Clemency.
• The Parole Board deliberates in Executive Session, where it votes on life sentence cases and provides recommendations to the Governor with respect to deciding petitions for Executive Clemency.         

Preferred Qualifications:     

The critical and typical knowledge, skills and abilities that are necessary to perform the job of Parole Board member are a working knowledge or the Commonwealth's laws, familiarization with the court system and operations of law enforcement agencies, correctional and treatment agencies and District Attorney's offices, education or training in the areas of social work, public health, psychology, mental illness, correctional philosophy and investigations. Additionally, the person should have exceptional interviewing skills, and precise insight into human behavior and compassion.  Finally, the Parole Board member needs to be able to de-escalate situations that may occur during the hearing as adverse decisions may be rendered.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) six (6) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least two (2) years must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

1. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

1. A Bachelor’s degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.

III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.

1. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.