Parole Board defunded but not dismantled

July 11, 2011

Delaware: The state legislature and Gov. Jack Markell passed a budget that eliminated funding for the state's Parole Board. However, matters were complicated when the bill proposed to abolish the board and replace it with a new authority was defeated by the Senate after funding was already cut. As it stands, board members are continuing to report for work and process parolee paperwork, but there is uncertainty regarding where they will be placed next.

Markell had been pushing to eliminate the Parole Board as a budgetary efficiency measure since 2010. Meanwhile, turmoil within the board reached a point where board members asked for intervention from the Superior Court of Delawares requiring regularly scheduled meetings.