|
Office of the Attorney General - State of Texas John Cornyn |
|
June 19, 2002 Mr. James L. Hall
OR2002-3319 Dear Mr. Hall: You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 164581. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (the "department") received a request for "all information which the Board used to withdraw its vote to release" a named individual. You state that some responsive information has been released to the requestor, but contend that the remaining requested information is excepted from required public disclosure under section 552.101 of the Government Code in conjunction with section 508.313 of the Government Code. Section 552.101 excepts from disclosure "information considered to be confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision." This section encompasses information protected by other statutes. You assert that the requested information is about a "releasee" and therefore is confidential under section 508.313 of the Government Code. In pertinent part, section 508.313 provides: (a) All information obtained and maintained, including a victim protest letter or other correspondence, a victim impact statement, a list of inmates eligible for release on parole, and an arrest record of an inmate, is confidential and privileged if the information relates to: (1) an inmate of the institutional division subject to release on parole, release to mandatory supervision, or executive clemency; (2) a releasee; or (3) a person directly identified in any proposed plan of release for an inmate. (b) Statistical and general information relating to the parole and mandatory supervision system, including the names of releasees and data recorded relating to parole and mandatory supervision services, is not confidential or privileged and must be made available for public inspection at any reasonable time. (c) The department may provide information that is confidential and privileged under Subsection (a) to: (1) the governor; (2) a member of the [Board of Pardons and Paroles]; (3) the Criminal Justice Policy Council in performing duties of the council under Section 413.017 [of the Government Code]; or (4) an eligible entity requesting information for a law enforcement, prosecutorial, correctional, clemency, or treatment purpose. (d) In this section, "eligible entity" means: (1) a government agency, including the office of a prosecuting attorney; (2) an organization with which the department contracts or an organization to which the department provides a grant; or (3) an organization to which inmates are referred for services by the department. (e) This section does not apply to information relating to a sex offender that is authorized for release under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. (f) This section does not apply to information that is subject to required public disclosure under Section 552.029 [of the Government Code]. A releasee is a person released on parole or to mandatory supervision. Gov't Code § 508.001(9). You state that the requested information is held by the Parole Division of TDCJ and that the named individual, at the time of the request, was a "mandatory supervision releasee under the administrative supervision of TDCJ's Parole Division, and was therefore a 'releasee' as described in Government Code Section 508.313(2)." You also state that the requested information concerns the releasee. After reviewing your arguments and the submitted information, we agree that the requested information is made confidential by section 508.313. You do not inform us, nor does it appear to this office, that section 508.313 permits the department to release the requested information to this requestor. Therefore, the submitted information must be withheld from disclosure under section 552.101 of the Government Code. This letter ruling is limited to the particular records at issue in this request and limited to the facts as presented to us; therefore, this ruling must not be relied upon as a previous determination regarding any other records or any other circumstances. This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For example, governmental bodies are prohibited from asking the attorney general to reconsider this ruling. Gov't Code § 552.301(f). If the governmental body wants to challenge this ruling, the governmental body must appeal by filing suit in Travis County within 30 calendar days. Id. § 552.324(b). In order to get the full benefit of such an appeal, the governmental body must file suit within 10 calendar days. Id. § 552.353(b)(3), (c). If the governmental body does not appeal this ruling and the governmental body does not comply with it, then both the requestor and the attorney general have the right to file suit against the governmental body to enforce this ruling. Id. § 552.321(a). If this ruling requires the governmental body to release all or part of the requested information, the governmental body is responsible for taking the next step. Based on the statute, the attorney general expects that, within 10 calendar days of this ruling, the governmental body will do one of the following three things: 1) release the public records; 2) notify the requestor of the exact day, time, and place that copies of the records will be provided or that the records can be inspected; or 3) notify the requestor of the governmental body's intent to challenge this letter ruling in court. If the governmental body fails to do one of these three things within 10 calendar days of this ruling, then the requestor should report that failure to the attorney general's Open Government Hotline, toll free, at 877/673-6839. The requestor may also file a complaint with the district or county attorney. Id. § 552.3215(e). If this ruling requires or permits the governmental body to withhold all or some of the requested information, the requestor can appeal that decision by suing the governmental body. Id. § 552.321(a); Texas Department of Public Safety v. Gilbreath, 842 S.W.2d 408,411 (Tex. App.--Austin 1992, no writ). Please remember that under the Act the release of information triggers certain procedures for costs and charges to the requestor. If records are released in compliance with this ruling, be sure that all charges for the information are at or below the legal amounts. Questions or complaints about over-charging must be directed to Hadassah Schloss at the Texas Building and Procurement Commission at 512/475-2497. If the governmental body, the requestor, or any other person has questions or comments about this ruling, they may contact our office. We note that a third party may challenge this ruling by filing suit seeking to withhold information from a requestor. Gov't Code § 552.325. Although there is no statutory deadline for contacting us, the attorney general prefers to receive any comments within 10 calendar days of the date of this ruling. Sincerely, James W. Morris, III
c: Ms. Joyce Raynor
POST OFFICE BOX 12548, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2548 TEL: (512) 463-2100 WEB: WWW.OAG.STATE.TX.US |