PRIVACY STATEMENT

Thank you for visiting the Board of Pardons and Paroles web page. During your visit, we will not collect personal information from you unless you provide it.

If you do nothing during your visit but browse the site, read pages or download information, we automatically will gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally.

We collect this information to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our site and to make our site more useful to visitors.

Any information submitted by e-mail may be seen by the BPP or TDCJ Webmaster, or related agency departments and may be retained either in electronic or paper format.

E-mail is NOT secure against interception. For your own protection, you may wish to contact the BPP directly if your submission includes sensitive information such as your social security number.

Keep in mind that any information disclosed on the referral form, whether in electronic or paper form, might become public information under state law, and you should exercise caution when making a decision to disclose personal information.

Below is an excerpt from the State of Texas Department of Information Resources on our privacy policy:

(2) Protection of the Privacy Rights of Individuals by Non-Judiciary State Governmental Bodies"

1. Under Texas law, Chapter 559, Texas Government Code, unless a state governmental body, other than (one) that is part of the judiciary, is allowed to withhold requested information from an individual pursuant to Chapter 552, Texas Government Code (the Texas Public Information Act), the individual is entitled to be informed about information collected by the state governmental body about that individual.
2. Each non-judiciary state governmental body that collects information about an individual by means of a form that the individual completes and files with the state governmental body in a paper format or in an electronic format on an Internet site shall prominently state, on the paper form and prominently post on the state governmental body's Internet site in connection with the electronic form, that:

   1. with few exceptions, the individual is entitled on request to be informed about the information that the state governmental body collects about the individual;
   2. the individual is entitled to receive and review the information; and
   3. the individual is entitled to have the state governmental body correct incorrect information about the individual.
3. Each non-judiciary state governmental body that collects information about an individual by means of an Internet site or that collects information about the computer network location or identity of a user of the Internet site shall prominently post on the state governmental body's Internet site:

   1. what information is being collected through the site about the individual; and
   2. what information is being collected through the site about the computer network location or identity of a user of the state governmental body's Internet site, including what information is being collected by means that are not obvious.
4. Each non-judiciary state governmental body must establish a reasonable procedure under which individuals may have incorrect information about them that is held by the state governmental body corrected. The correction procedure may not unduly burden the individual seeking to have information corrected.
5. Each non-judiciary state governmental body shall identify its information collection practices and post that information in its Internet site privacy and security policy. The e-mail addresses of members of the public that are provided to non-judiciary state governmental bodies for electronic communication with state governmental bodies are confidential and may not be disclosed by state governmental bodies unless the affected member of the public affirmatively consents to the disclosure of his or her e-mail address.

"(3) Requirements Applicable to State Agencies"

1. With the exception of confidential information, information protected by laws designed to protect an individual's privacy interests, and information not subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, state agencies are encouraged to post information on the Internet, in an accessible format. Information about the design and posting of information on state Web sites is available at http://www.dir.state.tx.us/standards/srrpub11.htm.
2. State agencies may not sell or release the e-mail addresses of members of the public that have been provided to communicate electronically with a government body without the affirmative consent of the affected member of the public."

Updated 01/16/2013