FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         USP
THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1995                            (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

                                 
      U.S. PAROLE COMMISSION SETS KANSAS CITY, MO., MEETING

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States Parole Commission will
vote on consolidating some of its operations and discuss
procedural changes relating to federal prisoners at its quarterly
meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, June 28 and June 29, the
Department of Justice announced today.  The meeting is open to
the public. 
     USPC Chairman Edward F. Reilly said the meeting is the first
outside the Washington, D.C., area in about five years.
     Reilly said the Commission will consider shifting operations
in three states--Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky--from the North
Central Region headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, to the
Eastern Region based in Chevy Chase, Maryland.  
     The Commission is streamlining many functions in preparing
to phase out its operations by November 1, 1997, Reilly said. 
Congress mandated the closing of the Commission when it enacted
legislation establishing a system of federal sentencing
guidelines. 
     Other matters that will be considered at the meeting include
adopting a regulation pertaining to the advancement of a parole
date for certified completion of a substance abuse program and
revising the parole guidelines for fraud involving more than $5
million.  
     Regional Commissioners also will present reports of
activities in their areas and the public will have an opportunity
to comment, Reilly said.
     The meetings will start at 9 a.m. each day and will be in
the North Central Regional Office at 10220 North Executive Hills
Blvd., North Pointe Tower, Suite 700, Kansas City, Missouri.
     The USPC has jurisdiction over federal prisoners who
committed offenses prior to November 1, 1987.  Currently, about
9,000 prisoners and 12,000 parolees are under the Commission's
jurisdiction.
     The Commission grants or denies parole; supervises, in
conjunction with federal probation officers, parolees and
mandatory releasees; sets the conditions governing the conditions
of persons on parole or mandatory release; issues summonses or
warrants for parole violators; and modifies or revokes parole or
mandatory release.
     In addition, the Commission conducts hearings and sets
release dates for prisoners transferred from foreign countries.
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