LINCOLN - According to data the Parole Board provided Flatwater, all five members of the board appeared together on less than half of all hearing days held between May 21, 2018, and Dec. 8, 2021.

6,521 individual cases were heard and voted on during that time period. However, only 37%, or 2,441 cases, were voted on by all five members.

Occasionally board members withdraw themselves from cases where they know the parole candidate or step out during a hearing and miss several votes. However, the bulk of their missed votes come on days when they aren't present for any hearings at all. Parole Board members are appointed by the governor and are paid $84,712 annually. As the board's chairperson, Rosalyn Cotton made $92,787 last year. All five positions are full-time with state statutes barring them from any other employment.

These absences from hearings have garnered more attention as the state continues to struggle with chronically overcrowded prisons. According to a data analysis conducted by the Flatwater Free Press, these absences make a difference in the outcome of the hearings.

The board motioned to grant parole in 62.6% of hearings attended by the full board. The rate fell to 56.2% when four or fewer members showed up. This disparity potentially kept nearly 200 parole-eligible prisoners behind bars longer, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past three years, the analysis shows.

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