Margie White, executive director of the Wyoming Board of Parole, told the Joint Appropriations Committee on Nov. 20 that the seven‑member volunteer board travels across the state for hearings and relies on Department of Corrections reports and validated risk assessments to make parole and revocation decisions. White said panel members typically spend three days preparing for hearings, review pre‑sentence investigations and institutional reports, and hold face‑to‑face interviews with inmates.

White described victim participation as an integral part of parole hearings. Staff contact certified victims before hearings and offer video testimony if personal attendance would be intimidating; in‑person testimony remains an option when requested. White said victims’ appearances often help educate the public about the board’s role and the limits of parole in relation to court sentences.

On recidivism, White said the Board’s annual report shows a 15% recidivism rate when the agency’s broader measure (including returns to probation) is used; she said the Department of Corrections’ statistician adjusted the methodology this year to include a three‑year lookback, and that the portion of parolees who are reincarcerated is about 8 percent. White emphasized ongoing review of performance measures and told the committee the board “is meeting those performance measurements.”

White said the board operates on a lean budget and is not seeking additional base funding for the upcoming biennium; she thanked the committee for prior supplemental travel funding (about $25,000) that helped offset rising travel costs as members drive to hearings rather than using the state plane. Committee members signaled appreciation for the board’s results and asked follow‑up questions about victim access, interstate recidivism tracking and accommodations for in‑person testimony.

Chairman Bear and other legislators pressed whether DOC or the board can track crimes committed by parolees outside Wyoming. White said the agencies cannot reliably capture all arrests that occur after a released person leaves the state and offered to pursue the data. She also said the board attempts to tailor post‑release conditions to minimize costs for parolees and noted a continuing concern about people with persistent serious mental illness, for whom community behavioral health funding is insufficient.

The committee did not take an immediate action; the board’s presentation concluded with White standing for questions and the committee moving on to the Department of Corrections’ budget hearing.