Tennessee Code Title 40. Criminal Procedure § 40-28-118

(a) Subject to other provisions of law, the board is charged with the duty of determining what prisoners serving a felony sentence of more than two (2) years or consecutive felony sentences equaling a term greater than two (2) years in state prisons, jails and county workhouses may be released on parole and when and under what conditions.

(b) When the director of probation and parole issues a warrant for the retaking of a parolee pursuant to § 40-28-607, the board is charged with determining whether violation of parole conditions exists in specific cases and of deciding the action to be taken in reference to the violation.

(c) It is also the duty of the members of the board to study the prisoners confined in the prisons, workhouses and jails when they are eligible for parole consideration so as to determine their ultimate fitness to be paroled.