It appears that my intuition was correct and this
no parole for Pollard link I found merely confirms the information I read about how parole boards behave (lifted from me reading a book about the John Walker spy ring) is correct.
And if he asks for parole, Pollard cannot asks for executive clemency for 15 years if I remember the link correctly.
So you're saying that if Pollard had been turned down for parole in 1996, he probably wouldn't have been eligible to seek parole again or executive clemency until 2011?
How's that working out for him?