The Concept of PAROLE Parole is the conditional release of an inmate prior to the completion of his prison sentence, after he agrees to follow very specific rules and regulations. While an individual released on parole is considered to have served his sentence, he risks being returned to prison to finish the prison term if he fails to follow the specific conditions set, or to report regularly to his parole officer. To explore this concept, consider the following parole definition.
History of Parole
The concept of parole dates back to the 1800s when Alexander Maconochie, overseer of the British penal colonies, introduced the idea as a method of preparing inmates to eventually return to live in society. Maconochie’s parole system involved a grading system in which prisoners earned promotions through labor, studies, and good behavior. The third and final grade gave liberties outside the prison for short periods of time while obeying specific rules. A prisoner so paroled who violated any of the rules was returned to prison to start all over again, at the bottom of the three-grade system.
History of parole in the United States features Zebulon Brockway, superintendent of the Elmira Reformatory in New York. In an attempt to manage rising numbers of inmates, and to rehabilitate inmates for their eventual release, Brockway developed a two-stage system involving unspecified prison sentences and parole releases
Difference Between Probation and Parole
Probation and parole are alternatives to incarceration; both used to supervise criminals closely as they live in society. There are, however, important differences between the two. Probation is supervised living ordered in place of jail or prison time. When an individual is given probation, it is an opportunity for him to show the court that he wants to rehabilitate instead of being sentenced to prison. While on probation, the individual must carefully follow the judge’s instructions, as well as those of his probation officer, or he risks having his probation revoked, and being incarcerated for the full term imposed by the judge. Probation is most often used for misdemeanor or less serious felony convictions, and is often the result of a plea bargain.
Parole, on the other hand, is only assigned after the individual has served a significant portion of a prison sentence handed down by the court. Parole releases help prisons keep prison populations down, and are intended to ensure the parolees are rehabilitating before being fully released without supervision into the public. An individual released on parole, referred to as a “parolee,” must follow very strict rules that are specified in writing prior to release. He must report on a regular schedule to his assigned parole officer, and must not be involved in any further illegal activities.
Unlike probation, which is assigned by a judge following a conviction or plea bargain, parole may only be granted by a parole board, which holds regular hearings. Each state has its own statutes regarding when and if parole may be granted, depending on the criminal charge, circumstances surrounding the crime, and the inmate’s criminal history.
0 Comments