# parole boards **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206 "2019-11-09T16:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/1 "2019-11-09T16:24:05Z")
At times, we hear of prisoners having the parole board recommend them for release, then the judge denies this. If so, what is the point of having a parole board? I’m asking because, as far as I know, its happened twice, with Leslie van Houten and Bob Beausoleil. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/2 "2019-11-09T16:27:15Z")
You answered your own question. Parole boards review cases and make recommendations. Why those with the power to actually release the prisoners are not required tofollow those recommendations is possibly what puzzles you? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/3 "2019-11-09T16:42:09Z")
Judge? Where does this happen? In the situations I am familiar with it is the governor who can prevent release and it is usually because of negative media coverage/public pressure in high profile cases. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/4 "2019-11-09T18:40:10Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > At times, we hear of prisoners having the parole board recommend them for release, then the judge denies this. If so, what is the point of having a parole board? I’m asking because, as far as I know, its happened twice, with Leslie van Houten and Bob Beausoleil. Googling, in both of those cases, it was the governor who denied the parole. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/5 "2019-11-09T22:02:35Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > At times, we hear of prisoners having the parole board recommend them for release, then the judge denies this. If so, what is the point of having a parole board? I’m asking because, as far as I know, its happened twice, with Leslie van Houten and Bob Beausoleil. They both should have been executed. When the SC overturned death penalty they got a reprieve converted to life, should have been life without parole ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/6 "2019-11-10T01:09:27Z")
Basically the board serves as a sort of triage for the system; at least that is how I always understood it. They check the basic information, do some level of investigation, ask some questions and note the answers, and then make a sort of recommendation. Not that unlike the nurse who saw me last in the ER. Right or wrong, agree or not, they help keep the system going. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/7 "2019-11-10T05:09:34Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > When the SC overturned death penalty they got a reprieve converted to life, should have been life without parole I don’t think California had life without parole when those murders were committed. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/8 "2019-11-10T14:14:09Z")
Both of those cases are in California- just because the governor makes the final decision in California doesn’t mean that’s true in every state- according to [this](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/george-pataki-governor-andrew-cuomo-parole-board-release-convicted-killer) , only three states allow the governor to reverse a parole board’s decision, and in NY the board makes the final decision. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/9 "2019-11-10T15:40:11Z")
In PA, the board has no authority to parole from a life sentence. The board can recommend parole but the governor must approve it. Some sign off more than others. Tom Ridge, for example, never paroled a single lifer. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/10 "2019-11-10T15:59:27Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > In PA, the board has no authority to parole from a life sentence. The board can recommend parole but the governor must approve it. Some sign off more than others. Tom Ridge, for example, never paroled a single lifer. That’s a little different - everything I’ve been able to find about PA states that those sentences are " life without parole" which require the governor to commute the sentence in order for the person to be eligible for release and according to the PA Board of Probation and Parole website : > [@](#): > > Parole is also different from a pardon or a commutation of sentence. In Pennsylvania, the Board of Pardons handles these situations, which is completely separate from the Board of Probation and Parole I believe sentence commutations in every state are up to the governor. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/11 "2019-11-12T16:18:06Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Googling, in both of those cases, it was the governor who denied the parole. Apologies, that’s what I meant.:o ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/12 "2019-11-12T16:19:33Z")
I had read somewhere that many others who were in for life, after 50 years received parole. is it because of their association with the crazy guy? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/13 "2019-11-12T17:34:55Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I had read somewhere that many others who were in for life, after 50 years received parole. is it because of their association with the crazy guy? Yes ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/14 "2019-11-12T17:44:21Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I had read somewhere that many others who were in for life, after 50 years received parole. is it because of their association with the crazy guy? It’s kind of hard to speculate when you’ve given us so few details. Who are you talking about, where were they incarcerated, and who is the crazy guy you referenced? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parole-boards/843206/15 "2019-11-12T17:45:50Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I had read somewhere that many others who were in for life, after 50 years received parole. is it because of their association with the crazy guy? It is purely because of the Manson infamy that van Houten is still behind bars. Take that away and she would have been out decades ago. Beausoleil would have only been released more recently. People seem to think that every single murderer is either executed or put away for life. Not remotely true. Take this [guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_King_(boxing_promoter)). Stomped an employee to death. Did less than 4 years.