2. The Origins of Parole
PAROLE
The conditional release of an inmate from
incarceration, under supervision, after part of
the prison sentence has been served
3. The Origins of Parole
Alexander Maconochie- developed the parole
concept
Classification procedure through stages of increasing
responsibility and freedom:
Strict imprisonment
Labor on chain gangs
Freedom within a limited area
Ticket-of-leave or parole with conditional pardon
Full restoration of liberty
4. The Origins of Parole
Crofton
Progress through prison and ticket-of-leave
linked
Parole included a series of conditions
Report monthly to police
5. The Origins of Parole
United States
Zebulon Brockway
Elmira Reformatory
Parole followed indeterminate sentencing
By 1900, 20 states had parole systems
6. The Origins of Parole
By 1925, 46 states had parole systems
1910—each federal prison had a parole board
(warden, medical officer, superintendent of
prisons for Dept. of Justice)
U.S. Board of Parole was developed
7. Release from One Part of the System to
Another
Most Inmates Eventually Released into Society
Over three-fourths will be on parole
Parole- a form of conditional release
Grace or privilege
Contract of consent
Custody
8. Release from One Part of the System to
Another
Number of Adults under Parole Supervision,
1980-2007.
9. Discussion Question
Imagine you are an 88 year old man who has
served the last 50 years in prison for a murder
you committed. Your release date is upon
you… how do you think you will adjust to
society?
11. Release Mechanisms
Discretionary Release- discretion of parole board
with boundaries set by the sentence and law
Mandatory Release- inmate served time equal to the
sentence minus “good time” as specified by law
Expiration Release- released from further
correctional supervision and cannot be returned to
prison for their current offense
12. Release Mechanisms
Probation Release- release from incarceration to
probation supervision as required by the
sentencing judge
Reinstatement Release- offenders return to
parole after serving a time in prison for a parole
violation
Other Conditional Releases- used to get around
mandatory sentencing and release to community
under supervision
13. The Decision to Release
Procedure
Eligibility
Sentence
Statutory criteria
Conduct prior to incarceration
Often minimum sentence minus good time
Parole board discretion
One-third to one-half of the maximum sentence
14. The Decision to Release
Release Criteria
Normally include at least eight factors
Offense & inmate attitude towards offense
Prior criminal record
Attitude toward family, victim, authority
Institutional adjustment/participation/progress
History of community adjustment
Physical, mental, and emotional health
Insight into causes of past criminal conduct
Adequacy of parole plan
15. The Decision to Release
Release Criteria
Discretionary
Moral judgments
Culpability
Adequacy of sentence
DNA
Legal and ethical issues
16. The Decision to Release
Structuring Parole Decisions
Parole guidelines
Three criteria
Substantial observance of institutional rules
Release will not devalue seriousness of offense or
promote disrespect for the law
Release will not jeopardize public welfare
17. The Decision to Release
The Impact of Release Mechanisms
Shorten a sentence
Encourages plea bargaining
Mitigates the harshness of the penal code
Reduce prison populations
18. Discussion Question
Discuss the release of inmates, take into
consideration that for many violent crimes,
such as rape and murder, inmates serve only a
portion of their sentence. Do you feel parole is
fair to the victims of crime? Or is it a
necessary evil? What factors do you consider
when thinking about this issue?
19. Release to the Community
Second Chance Act of 2007
Provides federal grants to states and
communities to support reentry initiatives
Employment
Housing
Substance abuse
Mental health treatment
Children and family services
20. Release to the Community
Community Supervision
Conditions of release- 80% of inmates are
released under conditions
Abstain from alcohol
Stay away from undesirable associates
Maintain good work habits
Do not leave the community without permission
21. Release to the Community
Revocation
Parole can be revoked for two reasons
Committing a new crime
Violating conditions of parole (technical violation)
In practice
Usually requires persistent non-compliance or
Arrest on a serious charge
Supreme Court requires a two-stage
parole-revocation hearing
23. Discussion Question
What if you were recently release from prison
on parole, and the only job that pays a salary
you can live on requires you to attend college
and earn an associate’s degree in accounting;
is this something you really want to do? You
have no money and you cannot get student
loans. Would you consider a life of crime to
earn money illegally to pay for school to
better yourself down the road?
24. Agents of Community Supervision
Parole Officer
Surveillance
Restriction
Enforcement
Revocation
Assistance
Jobs
Families
Human service agencies
25. The Offender’s Experience of
Postrelease Life
The Strangeness of Reentry
Changes
Unfamiliar freedom
Supervision and Surveillance
Not really free
Rules to follow and authority to heed
26. The Problem of Unmet Personal Needs
Education
Money
Job
Drug and alcohol problems
Mental health
Housing
The Offender’s Experience of
Postrelease Life
27. Barriers to Success
Civil disabilities- right to vote/hold public office
Employment
Conviction viewed as untrustworthy
Statutory bars on specific jobs
Expungement
Pardon
The Offender’s Experience of
Postrelease Life
28. Barriers to Success
Civil disabilities
Right to vote and hold public office
“War on Drugs”
Access to public assistance and food stamps
Living in public housing
Having a driver’s license
Being a foster parent or adopting children
Receiving student loans
The Offender’s Experience of
Postrelease Life
29. Discussion Question
Discuss if it’s fair to punish inmates once they
are released with additional sanctions, such as
voting rights and student loans.
30. The Elements of Successful Reentry
Pardons serve 3 main purposes:
Remedy a miscarriage of justice
Remove the stigma of a conviction
Mitigate a penalty
31. The Elements of Successful Reentry
Four Factors necessary for successful reentry:
Get substance abuse under control.
Get a job.
Develop a support group of family and friends.
Get a sense of “who I am.”
32. The Elements of Successful Reentry
Reentry Courts
Judicial supervision
Emphasis on involvement of judicial and
correctional officials in
Prerelease needs of prisoner
Linkages to family
Social services
Housing
Employment
Editor's Notes
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Annual Parole Survey, 1980–2011.
Sources: BJS Bulletin, November 2012; Laura M. Maruschak and Erika Parks, 10% Probation and Parole in the United States, 2011.
Source: Jeremy Travis and Sarah Lawrence, Beyond the Prison Gates: The State of Parole in America (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2002), 23.