Reviewed on: May 05,2026

How Likely Is Parole at a First Hearing on a Life Someone?

My dad has a 20 to life sentence with the possibility of parole . He has 6 more years until he sees the parole board In the state of Nevada. How likely will he get granted his 1st chance .

Asked: April 19, 2019
Author: Kehau
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There is no formula that produces a reliable percentage, and anyone who gives you a specific number is guessing. What can be said with confidence is what actually influences the outcome, and six years is enough time to build a genuinely strong case if he uses it intentionally.

Nevada's parole board looks at several factors when evaluating someone at a first appearance after a long sentence. Institutional record is the most visible and most controllable piece. An inmate who has gone years without disciplinary infractions, who has completed every program their counselor recommended, who has earned positive relationships with staff and demonstrated consistent pro-social behavior, walks into that hearing with the strongest possible file behind them. That file speaks before he says a word.

Programming completion matters specifically because it signals that the inmate took the time seriously rather than just waiting it out. Substance abuse treatment, educational attainment, vocational training, victim impact programs, whatever was recommended and available, completion of those things is what the board is looking for as evidence of genuine change rather than strategic compliance.

The interview itself carries real weight. Board members are experienced at reading the difference between someone who has genuinely reckoned with their offense and someone who is saying the right things. Preparation matters. His attorney or a reentry advocate can help him think through how to speak to the offense, the time he has served, and his plans for release in a way that is honest and credible rather than rehearsed.

The release plan also factors in. Confirmed stable housing, family support, and realistic employment prospects give the board a reason to feel confident that release is not a risk.

Six years is not a short window. Encourage him to treat every single one of those days as an investment in that hearing.

https://www.inmateaid.com/ask-the-inmate/how-likely-is-parole-at-a-first-hearing-on-a-life-someone#answer
Accepted Answer Date Created: April 20,2019
Comments
He has been a model inmate . He says he cant do programs until it closer to his parole hearing . Also if he does granted parole are family allowed to attend the hearing? Can we write letter of recommendations and a support system plan to help him if he does come out ? Will he be allowed to return to Hawaii where he is from or stay in Nevada to be on parole ?
These are all practical and important questions, and the answers are encouraging given that he has been a model inmate. On programs first, his statement that he cannot do programs until closer to the parole hearing is worth examining carefully. In most state systems programming is available and encouraged throughout the sentence, not just in the final stretch. The parole board actually wants to see a sustained record of program participation over years, not a last-minute flurry of activity right before the hearing. If there is a specific reason programming has not been available at his facility, that is worth documenting. If it is a matter of waitlists or limited offerings, his case manager should be helping him get into whatever is available now. Six years is enough time to complete meaningful programming if he starts working on it today. On family attending the hearing, Nevada's parole board hearings are not typically open to family members to attend in person. However, families can and absolutely should submit written statements. These letters carry real weight and the board reviews them as part of the file. Letters should speak to his character, the relationship, the support system waiting for him, and the concrete plans for his reintegration. Specific and personal is more effective than general praise. A formal support system plan submitted alongside those letters, documenting stable housing, family involvement, and realistic daily structure, strengthens the case considerably. On returning to Hawaii, that requires what is called an interstate compact transfer of parole supervision. Nevada would need to initiate a transfer request and Hawaii would need to agree to accept supervision. This is entirely possible but takes time and requires both states to sign off. His attorney or case manager should begin that conversation well before the hearing so the plan is already in motion if parole is granted. Start the letters now. Six years of model behavior deserves a strong file walking into that room.