Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) and Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to investigate any lapses in the release and parole supervision of Nestor Hernandez and Zeric Jackson. In a letter to BPP Presiding Officer David Guti?rrez and TDCJ Executive Director Bryan Collier, the Governor also directed the agencies to prepare any legislative or administrative recommendations based on the investigation and present a joint report to the Office of the Governor by January 4, 2023.
“In recent months, two prisoners who were released on parole went on to commit brutal murders while wearing ankle monitors as a condition of their parole,” reads the letter. “In neither case were ankle monitors an effective deterrent to the heinous crimes they committed. Although nothing can be done to bring back these victims, Texas must protect Texas residents from similar acts. Your respective agencies are responsible for deciding which inmates to release on parole (BPP) and then supervising those who have been released from prison (TDCJ). No later than January 4th, 2023, your agencies must investigate any lapses that occurred in the Hernandez and Jackson cases, prepare any legislative or administrative recommendations based on the lessons learned, and present a joint report to the Office of the Governor.”