waiting for parole in texas

a friend of mine is currently in a texas state jail. he was sentenced 5 yrs for violating probation. his mandatory release date is nov.11,2000, but he is eligible for parole now. When i called TDCJ they told me he is in the review process for parole and the earliest he could be released on parole is feb/apr 2000.

does this process normally take 4-6 months? would a lawyer be able to speed things up at all, or is that just how long it takes for all the paperwork to go thru?

There's a good discussion about parole on the "parole/probation" section of the criminal law link at this website's homepage. i think it could take as long 4-6 months; it is possible that a lawyer could speed things up. This website lists the name of attorneys in TX who handle criminal law matters if you're interested.