Law Office of Michele Garfinkel

09/15/2026

COMMON MISTAKE: EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD OF WHY

One of the most common problems in parole preparation is spending too much time retelling the facts of the commitment offense and not enough time explaining the thinking, beliefs, emotions, influences, and choices that made the offense possible.

The Board already knows what happened.

The harder question is often: Why did it happen?

A strong answer usually goes deeper than saying:

“I was young.”

“I was angry.”

“I was using drugs.”

“I was around the wrong people.”

Those things may be true, but they are usually the beginning of the analysis—not the end.

Real insight requires understanding the deeper patterns underneath the behavior. That may include insecurity, fear, impulsivity, distorted beliefs about respect, poor emotional regulation, trauma, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships, criminal thinking, peer influence, or other factors identified in the person’s history and risk assessment.

The goal is not to create an excuse.

The goal is to show that the person understands the causes of their past behavior well enough to recognize those patterns early and respond differently in the future.

That is why parole preparation should include more than reviewing the offense itself. It should include reviewing the Comprehensive Risk Assessment, identifying the areas that remain relevant, and making sure the person can connect past behavior to present-day insight, coping skills, and future planning.

Understanding what happened matters.

Understanding why it happened—and why it will not happen again—matters even more.

I am accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

All former clients receive a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed and become familiar with their file and case, allowing us to build on work that has already been done.

Follow this page for practical information about California parole hearings, BPH preparation, rehabilitation, and reentry.

09/14/2026

RELAPSE PREVENTION AND FUTURE PLANNING

One of the most common misunderstandings I see in parole preparation is the belief that one general relapse prevention plan is enough.

Usually, it is not.

A person should carefully review the areas identified in their Comprehensive Risk Assessment—especially anything described as moderately or highly relevant to future risk—and make sure each of those areas is addressed individually.

Different risk areas require different plans.

If substance abuse has been a repeated problem, there should be a clear substance-use relapse prevention plan.

If domestic violence has been part of the person’s history, that deserves its own relapse prevention plan addressing warning signs, triggers, unhealthy thinking, conflict patterns, boundaries, coping tools, accountability, and exactly what the person will do differently before a disagreement ever reaches the point of violence.

If anger, impulsivity, criminal thinking, antisocial peers, or another repeated harmful behavior contributed to past offending, those areas may also require separate prevention plans.

But not every important area should be called a relapse prevention plan.

Some areas are better addressed through a future wellness or stability plan.

Healthy relationships are one example. A person should be able to explain what healthy communication, boundaries, trust, conflict resolution, and relationship choices will look like after release.

The same is true for stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental-health concerns.

If stress or emotional instability has contributed to poor decisions in the past—or has been identified as relevant in the risk assessment—the person should have a specific plan for managing it in the community.

That plan might address:

• How they recognize that stress or anxiety is increasing
• Their personal warning signs
• Healthy coping skills they will use
• When they will seek professional help
• Who they can contact for support
• How they will handle overwhelming situations without isolating, using substances, becoming aggressive, or returning to old behaviors
• What routines help keep them emotionally stable
• What they will do if their usual coping tools are not working

The purpose is not to convince anyone that life after release will be stress-free.

It will not be.

The purpose is to demonstrate that the person understands how they respond to stress and what they will do differently when difficult situations arise.

This is why parole preparation should not be done in generalities.

Go through the Comprehensive Risk Assessment carefully.

Identify every area the evaluator has said remains relevant.

Then determine what type of written plan makes sense for each one—whether that is a relapse prevention plan, relationship plan, mental-health and wellness plan, stress-management plan, or another specific plan for the future.

For every identified risk area, the person should be able to answer:

What could put me at risk?
How will I recognize it early?
What tools will I use?
Who will I turn to?
What will I do differently this time?

Strong parole preparation is not simply explaining why the past will not happen again.

It is showing that there is a thoughtful, realistic plan for what to do before problems become crises.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

All former clients receive a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed and become familiar with their file and case history. That allows us to build on the work already completed and focus directly on the areas that still need preparation.

If you or your family are preparing for a California parole hearing and would like to discuss private representation, you are welcome to contact my office.

09/13/2026

A PLAN FOR FREEDOM

Rehabilitation does not end at the prison gate.

For someone preparing for parole, one of the most important parts of the process is being able to explain not only why they are ready for release, but how they intend to live differently once they are home.

A strong reentry plan should be realistic.

It should address housing, employment or income, transportation, medical and mental-health needs, sobriety support when appropriate, family relationships, community resources, and the practical challenges that come with returning to society after years—or even decades—of incarceration.

The goal is not to create a perfect life on paper.

The goal is to show thoughtful preparation.

Where will you live?

Who will support you?

How will you handle stress?

What will you do when something goes wrong?

What routines will help you stay grounded?

Who can you call before a difficult moment becomes a crisis?

Those questions matter because successful reentry requires more than hope. It requires structure, self-awareness, and a willingness to use the tools developed through years of rehabilitation.

For many people serving long sentences, the world outside has changed dramatically while they have been incarcerated. Technology has changed. Families have changed. Communities have changed.

Preparing for freedom means preparing for those realities too.

A second chance is not simply an opportunity to leave prison.

It is an opportunity to build a stable, responsible life with the lessons learned along the way.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

All former clients receive a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed and become familiar with their file and case history. That prior familiarity allows us to build on the work already completed and focus more efficiently on current preparation and the issues that matter most for the next hearing.

If you or your family are preparing for a California parole hearing and would like to discuss private representation, you are welcome to contact my office.

09/12/2026

INSIGHT IS MORE THAN WORDS

In parole preparation, there is a meaningful difference between knowing the “right” answer and truly understanding the answer.

Insight is not a script.

It is not a collection of phrases someone has been told to repeat.

It is the ability to explain, in your own words, what was happening inside you at the time of the offense, what beliefs or patterns contributed to your decisions, how those patterns affected other people, and what has changed since then.

That kind of understanding usually develops slowly.

It can come through years of programming, therapy, education, sobriety, mentorship, difficult conversations, reflection, and the willingness to look at parts of yourself that are uncomfortable to examine.

A person with genuine insight should be able to talk about growth without sounding perfect.

They should be able to acknowledge mistakes without collapsing into shame.

They should be able to explain change without pretending the past never happened.

And they should be able to connect what they have learned to the choices they expect to make in the future.

That is why parole preparation should never be about memorizing polished responses.

The strongest preparation helps a person understand their own history well enough to speak about it honestly, thoughtfully, and consistently.

Rehabilitation is not about performing transformation.

It is about living it.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

All former clients receive a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed and become familiar with their file and case history. That existing foundation allows us to spend more time strengthening preparation, addressing current issues, and building on the work already completed.

If you or your family are preparing for a California parole hearing and would like to discuss private representation, you are welcome to contact my office.

09/11/2026

YOUTH IS NOT DESTINY

One of the hardest parts of parole work is helping people explain the difference between who they were when the crime happened and who they have become after years of growth.

That distinction matters greatly in cases involving youthful offenders.

Young people are often more impulsive, more influenced by peers, less capable of fully appreciating consequences, and more likely to make decisions based on emotion, fear, loyalty, or the need to belong. None of that excuses serious harm.

But accountability and context can exist at the same time.

Real rehabilitation requires more than saying, “I was young.”

It means understanding how youth affected the choices that were made, identifying the thinking and circumstances that contributed to the offense, and then showing what changed as maturity developed.

A meaningful parole presentation should be able to answer questions like:

What did you believe then that you no longer believe now?

What pressures influenced you?

What did you fail to understand about yourself, other people, or consequences?

What experiences forced you to grow?

What have you learned that now allows you to make safer decisions?

The passage of time alone does not prove rehabilitation.

But decades of demonstrated maturity, accountability, education, programming, mentorship, emotional growth, and responsible conduct can show something powerful:

A young person’s worst decision does not have to become their permanent identity.

California parole hearings are about present-day risk, and that requires looking carefully at the person who exists today—not simply freezing them forever at the age they were when the offense occurred.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

All former clients receive a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed and become familiar with their file and case history. That prior knowledge allows us to build on work already completed and focus more efficiently on preparation for the next hearing.

If you or your family are preparing for a California parole hearing, you are welcome to contact my office to discuss private representation.

09/10/2026

ACCOUNTABILITY WITHOUT ERASURE

Accountability is essential in parole work.

But accountability is not the same thing as believing a person can never become more than the worst decision they ever made.

True accountability means being able to face the harm honestly, understand the choices and thinking that led to it, recognize the impact on others, and explain what has changed since then.

That kind of growth takes more than regret.

It takes years of reflection, difficult self-examination, better coping skills, improved judgment, healthier relationships, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths without excuses.

For people serving long sentences, rehabilitation is often measured over decades.

The important question is not whether the past can be undone. It cannot.

The question is whether the person has done the work necessary to ensure that the behavior that caused harm is no longer the behavior that defines their present.

That is where insight, accountability, and second chances meet.

California parole hearings are serious, detailed, and deeply personal. Preparation should reflect that. A person should be able to explain their growth clearly, connect it to the record, and show how the lessons learned in custody will continue to guide them in the community.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

All former clients receive a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed the file, become familiar with the case history, and understand many of the issues that may need attention. That prior familiarity allows us to build on the work we have already done together rather than starting from the beginning.

If you or your family are preparing for an upcoming California parole hearing, you are welcome to contact my office to discuss private representation.

09/09/2026

ELDER PAROLE

Aging does not erase accountability.

But age, time, health, maturity, and decades of demonstrated change can matter when evaluating who a person is today.

California’s parole system recognizes that people do not remain frozen at the age they were when they committed an offense. Someone who entered prison young may eventually be evaluated as an older adult with a very different level of judgment, emotional regulation, physical capacity, and understanding of the harm they caused.

That does not mean the past disappears.

It means the present deserves to be examined honestly too.

For people who have spent decades incarcerated, rehabilitation may be reflected in years of disciplinary stability, programming, education, mentoring, sobriety, service to others, improved coping skills, deeper insight, and a realistic plan for life outside prison.

The most meaningful question is not simply how much time has passed.

It is what the person has done with that time.

Growth should be visible in the record, understandable in the person’s own words, and connected to a clear explanation of why the behavior that once created danger is unlikely to return.

A strong parole presentation does not ask the Board to ignore the commitment offense. It demonstrates why the person sitting in front of the Board today may no longer be the same person who committed it decades earlier.

That distinction is at the heart of rehabilitation.

I am accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters, including representation involving long-term incarceration, youth and elder parole issues, and parole suitability hearings.

For people I previously represented through a state appointment, I offer a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed the file, learned the history of the case, and become familiar with the issues that may need to be addressed. That existing familiarity allows us to focus our time on preparation and the work still ahead.

Families and prospective clients are welcome to contact my office to discuss private representation.

09/08/2026

REENTRY STARTS EARLY

Successful reentry does not begin at the prison gate.

It begins long before release.

It begins when someone starts thinking seriously about where they will live, how they will support themselves, who they will rely on, how they will handle stress, and what they will do when life does not go according to plan.

A strong reentry plan is more than an address and a job lead.

It should reflect structure, accountability, and realistic preparation.

Where will treatment continue, if needed?

What will the person do if old triggers return?

Who can they call before a problem becomes a crisis?

How will they handle supervision requirements, transportation, employment, family expectations, and the ordinary pressures of daily life after years of incarceration?

These questions matter because rehabilitation is not just about what someone has learned inside. It is also about whether they are prepared to use those lessons outside.

The strongest parole candidates understand that freedom brings responsibility.

They are not simply hoping for a second chance. They are preparing to succeed with it.

That preparation can include continued therapy, substance-use support, education, employment planning, mentoring, family reunification, community programming, and a clear understanding of the conditions they will be expected to follow.

Reentry is not the end of rehabilitation.

It is the next stage of it.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

For individuals I previously represented through a state appointment, I offer a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed the file, become familiar with the history of the case, and understand many of the issues that may need to be addressed. That allows us to move forward from an existing foundation instead of starting over.

If you or your family are preparing for a California parole hearing and would like experienced representation focused on preparation, accountability, and meaningful rehabilitation, you are welcome to contact my office.

Call now to connect with business.

09/07/2026

THE LONG VIEW

A parole hearing should never reduce a human being to the worst day of their life.

The commitment offense matters. Accountability matters. The harm caused must never be minimized.

But parole also requires looking at what happened after that offense.

What has the person done with the years that followed?

Have they confronted the thinking that contributed to their crime?

Have they learned to recognize their triggers and manage them differently?

Have they developed empathy for the people they harmed?

Have they demonstrated stability when circumstances were difficult?

Have their choices, relationships, disciplinary record, programming, work history, and behavior begun telling a different story?

Rehabilitation is a trajectory.

One certificate does not prove it. One mistake does not necessarily erase it. What matters is the larger pattern: whether someone has developed the insight, judgment, coping skills, and accountability necessary to live safely in the community.

That is why effective parole preparation requires more than rehearsing answers.

It means understanding the entire record—both the difficult parts and the evidence of growth—and helping the person explain how those pieces fit together.

The question is not whether the past happened.

The question is whether the person sitting before the Board today still presents the same danger they once did.

For many people who have spent decades doing the work, the answer can be very different from what their commitment offense alone might suggest.

I am currently accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

If I previously represented you as a state-appointed attorney, I offer a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed your file, learned the history of your case, and become familiar with the issues that matter. That allows us to build on an existing foundation rather than starting from the beginning.

If you or your family are preparing for an upcoming California parole hearing, you are welcome to contact my office to discuss private representation.

09/06/2026

YOUTH AND CHANGE

A person should be accountable for what they did as a teenager.

But accountability does not require pretending that a teenager and a fully developed adult are the same person.

One of the most important ideas behind California’s youth-offender parole framework is that young people are still developing. Judgment, impulse control, emotional regulation, susceptibility to peer pressure, and the ability to understand long-term consequences continue to mature well beyond adolescence.

That does not erase serious harm.

It does mean that the passage of time matters.

When someone entered prison very young and later spends years confronting the reasons behind their behavior, separating from destructive influences, developing empathy, learning emotional regulation, building a stable identity, and taking responsibility for the damage they caused, the question eventually becomes more than, “What did this person do?”

It also becomes:

Who is this person today?

A meaningful parole review should be able to recognize both truths at once: the commitment offense may have caused devastating harm, and the person who committed it may have undergone profound change.

Rehabilitation is not forgetting the past.

It is demonstrating, through years of conduct and hard work, that the past no longer predicts the future.

That is why preparation for a parole hearing should go far beyond memorizing answers. The goal is to help a person clearly explain their development, their accountability, the work they have done, and the tools they will continue using when they return to the community.

I am accepting new privately retained clients for California parole matters.

If I previously represented you as a state-appointed attorney, I offer a reduced private-retainer rate because I have already reviewed your file, learned your history, and become familiar with your case. That means we can build on the work already completed rather than starting from the beginning.

Families and prospective clients are welcome to contact my office to discuss representation for an upcoming California parole hearing.