CPR was founded in 1999, became incorporated in 2000 and received its nonprofit status in 2001. It began when a group of people called a meeting to brainstorm about what could be done to address the denial of parole to thousands of deserving people in prison. Although only twenty people were invited to the meeting, when word spread through the prison grapevine that a meeting was being held to address this issue, more than 300 people showed up. The group included wives, daughters, sons, mothers, grandmothers and friends of people in prison, attorneys, community activists, formerly incarcerated persons and even a former parole commissioner. These people stood up at the meeting and testified about the frustration they faced when their loved ones were denied parole over and over again. Many of those incarcerated met all of the criteria listed in the parole statute that should have qualified them for release and had outstanding institutional records. CPR was formed at that meeting to advocate for fair parole practices and to publicize the plight of people in prison being denied parole.