Texas parole board member indicted By Brian Rogers | October 3, 2014 | Updated: October 3, 2014 0 A state parole commissioner in Huntsville has been taken off the job after being indicted for tampering with an official document, accused of falsifying state records to incorrectly show that inmates refused to go to their parole interviews. The alleged omission by Pamela D. Freeman may have adversely affected the annual parole process for five Texas inmates, prosecutors said Friday. Freeman was tasked with interviewing inmates who were up for release and writing parole memorandums to help the board make a decision. Weve only indicted her for one count, but there are five inmates that we know of, said Stephanie Stroud, First Assistant of the Walker County District Attorneys Office. You can see how if a person writes, they refused to interview that could negatively affect how the parole board votes. The case shines a rare light on the inner workings of the parole system which employs 14 commissioners around the state. Freeman, who has worked for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles since 2004, was indicted Wednesday in Walker County, according to court records. Her attorney denied the allegations and said Freeman has been targeted because of her role in the process. The basis for the indictment is false, said attorney Craig Washington. We would win it at trial if there was a trial, but I think once the district attorney sees more information, hes going to come to different conclusion than the grand jury did. The parole board began investigating allegations involving documents dated April 30 according to a statement issued by the Chairman of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The board turned over their initial investigation to the Office of Inspector General, the investigative arm of TDCJ, for a review, which led to Wednesdays indictment. While this incident is unfortunate and certainly impermissible if true, it is by no means representative of our agency, which is comprised of dedicated, honorable and hard-working staff who take pride in the work they do to represent the Board, Chairwoman Rissie Owens said in a written release. As Chairman of the Board of Pardons and Paroles it is my expectation all employees of the Board will adhere to the highest level of ethical standards – anything less is unacceptable, Owens stated. Commissioners are appointed by the chair. She said Freeman has been relieved of her duties until the charges are resolved. Tampering with a government record is a third degree felony punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The 14 parole commissioners work in offices across the state. They assist the board with parole and revocation decisions, including determining which inmates are to be released on parole or mandatory supervision and the conditions of release. They also interview inmates, victims and other interested parties, like family members or attorneys and have the power to issue subpoenas. Freeman has about 16 years of experience in criminal justice/social services, according to her official biography on the agencys website. That work includes Criminal Justice Director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments and an interviewer or correctional Officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Dallas County Sheriffs Department. She was also employed by the Dallas County Youth Village as a child care worker. chron/news/houston-texas/houston/article/State-parole-commissioner-indicted-5799025.php
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 22:44:33 +0000
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