Case Study
A question every State should ask is “Does post-prison supervision work?” It is doubtful whether parole ever really operated consistently in the United States either in principle or practice (Bottomley 1990).
Less than half (46 percent) of all parolees successfully complete parole without violating a condition of release, absconding, or committing a new crime (Solomon 2006) So when evaluating whether the need to keep parole or abolishing it can be difficult.
There are three different releases from prison. There is discretionary release, mandatory release and unconditional release. Though not all consist of parole, the focus is to see if recidivism rates differ from each other. Discretionary release involves a parole board. The parole board chooses who they believe is fit to return to the community under supervision. Mandatory release occurs when a prisoner has served the original sentence, with good behavior time included. They also will be on parole. Then there is unconditional release, where the prisoner is released from prison after serving their sentence with no conditions on release. If a parolee is able to obey by the terms of their parole then they will be released by the state. If in the time of a parolee’s probationary period they do break a rule, parole will be revoked and will be returned to prison.
The Term Paper on Should parole release be abolished?
... other inmates had to be released. In many states where parole has been abolished, costs have skyrocketed, prison populations have grown out of ... services provided to parolees. (The cost of prison time, on the other hand, is covered by the state.) Abolishing parole A movement to ... just as serious as those committee by a parolee. Eliminating parole won’t eliminate the crimes of ex-cons. All in ...
When evaluating issues with the Parole system we will examine from the parole board, reentry, and the prisoners and parole officers. One of the long standing criticisms of paroling authorities is that their members are too often selected based on party loyalty and political patronage rather than on professional qualifications and experience (Petersilia 2003).
Though there could be some true to this statement, many states like Kentucky and Massachusetts require and individual to have at least five years of experience in many fields such as: psychology, law enforcement, and corrections. Kentucky even requires that no more than six members can be of the same political party. When parole boards choose a prisoner for parole the prisoner will have to go through a reentry program. There are many programs that are used for reentry which start in a correctional based facility then moved to something similar to probation. Probation is used for misdemeanor offenders. Common ways for reentry and intermediate sanctioning will be checking in at the local parolee officer, drug testing, random searches of residents and vehicle, or half-way homes. While most of these reentry programs could be effective. Most parole officers manage an average of 70 parolees apiece. Meet with individuals for about 15 minutes once or twice a month (Solomon and Kachnowski 2005).
How can a these programs effectively be used on a prisoner if the officers don’t have the time to administer the program and make a positive impact on the prisoner?
After review the facts the point still stands that we should keep parole. We just need to reform it. Parole is necessary to reduce the prison population. This is a common problem for the whole Nation. In the case of keeping parole a few things would need to be changed. New requirements for parole boards would have to be issued. We would also have to change reentry programs and the effectiveness of parole officers.
Parole boards need to be screened and evaluated not just by the Governor. My idea is that district representatives from the state will take in applications for parole board members. The representatives will choose who they will believe is best fit for the position and send the recommendation to the Governor. Then the Governor may choose to sign or decline the offer of the recommendation for the representatives. This is common with bills that are being passed and can be signed or vetoed by the President. The requirements to become a member also should be increased for not just experience but need to have education also. My recommendation is to have an applicant have at least five years of experience and also a four year degree from an accredited college. The degree would have to also be in a field of interest to the criminal justice system. Reentry programs would have to be restructured to be sure that the prisoner is in a safe environment that would keep that offender from influences that could cause the prisoner to recommit a crime. Intermediate sanctions can be increased to help target these behaviors. Also parole officers have a hard time keeping up with case loads. I was thinking that prisoners should come to parole officers more often. Not just stop by the office. The use of a classroom setting like most drug classes. The Officers could work with every individual in a meeting instead of just a stop by.
The Essay on When Prisoners Comes Home Modern Parole
Drawing from numerous dozens of interviews within inmates, prison officials and former prisoners, the author has exposed how the current system if failing to help the enamors number of jailed Americans re-enter into the society. The author moves a step further in identifying and exploring the harsh conditions and realities behind prisoner’s re-entry offering specific solutions to prepare inmates ...
With these changes I believe that you could see a reduction in recidivism of offenders. Parole board will be better screened, which could cause better choices of prisoners who are believed to be ready to be released back into the community. With intermediate sanctions we could target the offender’s behaviors. This will be affective deterrent for the prisoner not to recommit crime. With Parole officers able to lighten their work load and able to focus it in a classroom environment the parole officers will be able to make a better positive impact on prisoners.
