The Earned Eligibility Program requires a counselor to evaluate an eligible inmate's program performance during his period of incarceration. Eligibility is based on a minimum sentence length that cannot exceed 6 years. This evaluation occurs prior to the inmate's initial Parole Board hearing. The evaluation results are provided to the Parole Board to be used in deciding whether to release the inmate. Seventy percent (6,998) of the 10,003 parole hearings during the 6-month period involved a certificate; 22 percent (2,169) had been denied certificates; and 8 percent (836) were determined to be noncertifiable for Earned Eligibility at the time of review, primarily due to insufficient time in programs through no fault of their own. Inmates who were issued certificates were substantially more likely to be granted parole than those denied a certificate or those granted noncertifiable status. During this period, 69 percent of those inmates who were issued a certificate were approved for parole, compared to 31 percent of those denied a certificate and 49 percent of those granted noncertifiable status. Data are also provided on release rates by crime category, the impact of the Earned Eligibility Program on the release rate, cumulative additional releases and estimated cost savings, return rate of certificate cases, and return rate by crime category for 1993 releases. 8 tables and 3 figures