Parole board adopts Certificate of Employability and revocation-reconsideration rules effective Oct. 1

The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles on July 15 voted to adopt new and amended administrative rules that change how the agency documents employability for people leaving custody and how it handles requests to reconsider revocations of parole or mandatory supervision. The board approved the rules at an open public meeting in Montgomery after a recommendation from Director Cam Ward.

The board approved Alabama Administrative Code r. 640‑X‑7‑.03, a new Certificate of Employability intended to recognize individuals released on parole or mandatory supervised release who meet criteria such as no violent disciplinary infractions during the current term, no disciplinary infractions within the preceding 12 months, completion of GED/higher education or trade school while in ADOC custody, and a custody level of Min‑Community or Min‑Out with current verified employment. The rule excludes people required to register as sex offenders and those convicted of violent offenses as defined by state law. The agency will conduct an employability review before the board’s decision on parole; when issued, certificates will be recorded in the board’s minutes and provided to the parolee upon reporting to their assigned parole officer.

The board also adopted Alabama Administrative Code r. 640‑X‑9‑.07, establishing procedures for reconsideration of revocations. Under the rule, a person whose parole or mandatory supervision was revoked may request reconsideration by submitting an ABPP‑7 application within six months of the board’s revocation order or within six months of a court order that acquits or dismisses the charges relied upon in revocation. Bureau staff will screen applications for completeness before legal review; legal review considers a non‑exhaustive list of issues (for example, whether the sanction was lawful, whether due process was followed, and whether clear and convincing evidence of innocence exists). The rule states the legal review list is illustrative rather than exhaustive; the board retains discretion to deny or grant reconsideration and to order appropriate relief.

The board voted to repeal and replace, or to amend, a set of agency forms and rules tied to these policies, including ABPP‑1 (Application for Early Parole Consideration), ABPP‑2 (Parole Guidelines), ABPP‑4 (Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote/CERV application), and ABPP‑7 (Application for Reconsidering Revocation of Supervised Release). The board authorized Director Cam Ward to sign the Certification of Administrative Rules and ordered the agency’s legal office to maintain certified records. The board further ordered the adopted rule changes and an explanatory statement be posted on the agency website until the rules become effective Oct. 1, 2026.

Board members present were Hal Nash (Chair), Gabrelle Simmons (Member) and Jennifer Conway (Member). The minutes record that the rule adoptions followed the agency’s public‑comment period; the board’s Response to Comment document states two changes were adopted in response to public input, including extending the ABPP‑7 filing window from two months to six months and allowing staff to assist or accept submissions from people who lack access to the ABPP‑7 form.

The adoption of a Certificate of Employability creates a formal, board‑recorded credential intended to support workforce reentry for parolees who meet the criteria; the revocation‑reconsideration procedure creates a clearer administrative path for people seeking the board’s review after revocation. The board set Oct. 1, 2026 as the operative/effective date for the adopted changes and directed staff to publish the materials on the agency website until that date.