WILLIAM P. CLEMENTS, JR. GOVERNOR OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR STATE CAPITOL AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711 June 8, 1979 Ms. Connie Jackson, Chairman-, Board of Pardons and Paroles Room 711 Stephen F. Austin Building Austin, Texas 78711 Dear Ms. Jackson: C46--mo-hicr In the first four-and-half months of my administration your agency, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, has recommended for parole approximately 5,000 inmates. In all of the last fiscal year you recommended to Governor Briscoe only 5,500 inmates for parole. Your agency as a whole has increased its recommendation rate from an average of 3l7 over the last 10 years to well over 50% during- my administration. At the current rate which your agency is recommending inmates for parole, absent my veto authority over your decisions, you would be paroling 14,000 inmates in a year's time, more than half of the current prisQn population of about 25,000 inmates. The lenient "good time" laws of Texas have enabled the vast majority of all inmates to become eligible for parole after serving only approximately one- sixth of their sentence. Coupling this fact with that of our parole authority recommending more than one-half of those eligible for parole and we have a serious situation. It is with great concern that I view these statistics, and I would grcafly appreciate communicating with you about any causes that might be contributing to them. It is my feeling that the people of Texas, if totally informed of this situation, would share my concern. Therefore, I seek your recommendations as to the resolution of this matter. Ync,5e William P. WPC:gt bc: Judge Joe Greenhill Judge John Onion