Why parole is important

Purpose and benefits. Release on parole is not automatic. The Board individually assesses each eligible prisoner who applies for parole to decide whether they are suitable for parole and the conditions under which they should be released on parole. Parole can help prisoners through the difficult transition back to the community by providing targeted support such as drug and alcohol or psychological counselling, advice and practical assistance. Parole enables parole officers and the Board to supervise prisoners following their release into the community.

Parole conditions can control where the prisoner lives, whom they may associate with, and can subject them to regular drug tests and electronic monitoring.

The Board can increase, reduce, vary or enforce the conditions of parole as circumstances and risks change throughout the parole period. If necessary, the Board can cancel parole and return the prisoner to prison. A parolee who doesn't follow the rules risks going back into custody prison. This article discusses what parole means and how it generally works, but laws and procedures can vary from state to state.

Under parole as most people think of it—sometimes called "discretionary" parole—an inmate gets out of prison early and serves some part of the remaining sentence under parole supervision.

Under the traditional parole system, parole is a privilege for prisoners who seem capable of reintegrating into society. It's not a right.

Although some criminal statutes carry a right to an eventual parole hearing, typical laws don't absolutely guarantee parole itself. Authorities retain the discretion to deny parole to prisoners they deem dangerous. Often, a parole board that denies parole to a prisoner sets another parole hearing at some later point, sometimes after several years. State law can provide that some kinds of convictions make prisoners ineligible for parole or eligible only after a very long prison sentence.

Indeed, life without parole, regularly referred to as "LWOP," is a common alternative sentence to the death penalty. Many prisoners do, however, become eligible for parole. Commonly, after a parole board finds that a prisoner is eligible, the inmate appears at a parole hearing. If granted parole, the parolee is released and lives free in society but under the continued supervision of the prison authority.

Parole decisions can involve multiple steps—for instance, review by a panel from the parole board and then review by the whole board. In a few states, the state governor gets to review the parole decision and might have the option to reverse at least some parole grants. Often, the prison authority primarily supervises the parolee through mandatory visits with a parole officer. State parole services usually a branch of the department of corrections may provide transitional services tailored to the parolee's needs, such as shelter in a halfway house or intensive mental health counseling.

Once out on parole, a parolee enjoys the privilege of relative freedom in return for abiding by certain conditions. Some common parole conditions are that the parolee:. Under a typical parole system, the parolee is assigned a parole officer and must meet with that officer periodically. The parole officer may also make unannounced visits to the parolee's home to check that the parolee is truly abiding by the relevant conditions.

Unannounced visits let the officer observe whether, for example, there is evidence of parole violations like drug use. To violate parole is to fail to live up to its conditions. The violation could be a bad act like committing a new crime or a failure to act like not getting the parole officer's permission to leave the county or state before going out of town.

Violating parole by committing a crime can often land parolees back in prison or in jail. Some of the more minor or technical violations, such as prohibited alcohol use, could result in parole authorities imposing stricter or additional conditions rather than immediately commencing back-to-prison revocation proceedings.

For instance, a parole officer might refer the parolee to substance abuse counseling including, for example, AA meetings and require proof of attendance.

If the parolee fails to comply with the requirement, or if the parole violation was serious enough, the authorities may begin revocation proceedings. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Although issues of prison crowding are being aggravated by imprisonment of technical violations parolees, I am of the opinion that parolee should strictly adhere to the agreement of rules and regulations sighed under the parole agreement, failure to comply with those rules should earn the parolee a ticket back to prison, such regulations incorporate …show more content… The challenges includes both physical and psychological challenges which are to be taken into account if one has to be a productive member of the society.

Studies shows recidivism normally occur after three to four years after release from prison, this is highly connected with challenges that are faced by former inmates. Post-incarceration employment is usually limited, this is due to the fact that they are viewed negatively by the employers due to involvement in criminal justice. Most have limited education and work experience to fit into employment. Some ex-convicts face rejection by family members due to their negative figure portrayed by their former mistakes.

They are also faced with society, social connections and expectation upon release challenges, as expectations for returning to a life of normalcy are not always realistic due to the society structural changes and technology changes that have occurred in their absence Welfare Reform, This is more true to inmates who have served long periods in prison.

Other challenges faced by former prisoners includes; collateral consequences like lack of food stamps and inability to …show more content… Re-entry into the society is of importance to inmates, especially when it comes to matters to do with education, employment, housing and access to medical facilities.

Government sponsored programs such as access to food stamps should highly be extended to felons as a necessity to reduce stress and challenges on ex-convicts.

Denying ex-convicts the right to vote and the right to access food stamps serves as a way of rejecting the felons and violation of the basic human right of freedom. Denial of these basic human right add up to the many causes of recidivism in any state. Sex offender registries are too much inclusive and very restrictive, more so as it denies youthful offenders from gaining access to school and adults struggle to find a legitimate neighborhood Welfare Reform, Sex offenders registries are only legitimate if they serve to rehabilitate offenders but not shun them from the.

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