Most incarcerated adults are given an opportunity to have a parole hearing. This hearing determines if an inmate is going to be released on parole or will have to continue serving time in prison. It is important to have a life and support plan in place before the hearing. The parole board will need to see that things are lined up for the inmate on the outside. If you want an inmate to parole to your house, take the following steps: Reside in the state where the prison is located: Inmates are only allowed to parole to the home of a spouse or immediate family member if they are trying to parole to a state other than the state the prison is in. To do that an Interstate Compact Agreement must be applied for and accepted. If an inmate is going to parole within the same state as the prison it can be to live with someone other than a spouse or immediate family, such as a fiancé, a cousin, or a work supervisor, as long as the home and people are deemed suitable Be careful about who lives in your home: The parole board will check the criminal records of all persons who will reside in the home your loved one wants to parole to. Having a record does not prevent you from having him or her paroled there. It will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To increase your chance for a positive outcome, make sure the house is not going to be overrun with people. Paroled felons are not allowed to hang out with other felons, (some exceptions are made for immediate family) so unless the other felon in the house is an immediate family member of the inmate it's best to have him or her move out. Expect home visits: In most cases the parole office that will oversee your loved one will send someone to do a home visit. This is to check that the home really exists, it is in decent repair and there are no obvious problems such as drugs on the kitchen counter. You will be asked a series of questions during the visit. A professional, calm attitude will come in handy even if the visiting officer does not display the same. Follow the rules: If your loved one is a sex offender or there is a restraining order for any reason limiting his or her house choices, your home will be checked for those. For example, if the sex offender register says your loved one cannot live within 1,000 feet of a school, the officer will measure the distance from your home to the nearest school to be sure it complies. Find out the rules beforehand and be sure you live in a house that complies. Contact your landlord: Many parole officers will contact your landlord to make sure it is okay that a paroled felon is going to reside on the property. Pay your rent on time, take care of the property and develop a good relationship with your landlord. Then ease into a conversation about your loved one coming home well before the home visit. It is better to hear it from you than to be blind-sided when the officer contacts him or her. Final thought: These steps won't guarantee that your loved one will be allowed to parole to your home, but not taking these steps significantly reduces the chances it will happen.