NCJ Number
58468
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON PAROLE AS THE END PRODUCT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT CANNOT BE BLAMED FOR EARLIER FAILURES IN THE SYSTEM AND CANNOT BE ABOLISHED.
Abstract
PAROLE WILL NEVER BE ABOLISHED AS LONG AS PEOPLE HAVE TO BE RELEASED FROM IMPRISONMENT, AND SOMEONE WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING THE RELEASE OF INMATES. AT PRESENT, BOTH THE PRISON AUTHORITIES (WHO DEVELOPED THIS IDEA) AND PAROLE BOARDS (WHICH ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING SUCH DECISIONS) HAVE FAILED TO IMPROVE OR MODIFY PAROLE OPERATIONS. THIS HAS LED TO THE PASSAGE OF UNDERBUDGETED AND UNDERSTAFFED LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE RAISED EXPECTATIONS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CREATING FURTHER DIFFICULTIES FOR THE SYSTEM. FUTHERMORE, THE PAROLE SYSTEM SERVES AS THE POINT AT WHICH ALL VARIOUS DISCRETIONARY DECISIONS MADE AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (CITIZEN REPORTING OF CRIMES, POLICE DECISIONS REGARDING ARREST, AND JUDICIAL DECISION REGARDING PROSECUTION) COME MOST CLEARLY INTO FOCUS. THE PAROLE SYSTEM, THEREFORE, UNFAIRLY ASSUMES THE BLAME FOR RELEASING RECIDIVISTS. HOWEVER, STATISTICS FROM THE UNIFORM PAROLE REPORTS PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY SHOW THAT PAROLE HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE. OF THE 2,384 INMATES PAROLED FROM FLORIDA CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN 1973, 87 PERCENT CONTINUED SUCCESSFULLY ON PAROLE FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR. THAT KIND OF SUCCESS RATE CANNOT BE IGNORED AND IS INDICATIVE OF THE CAREFUL DECISIONS REACHED BY THE FLORIDA PAROLE SYSTEM IN ENSURING THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF RECIDIVISM ON THE PART OF THE PAROLEE IS MINIMAL. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.