Decision-Making Processes in Parole Hearings (From Criminal Justice System - A Social-Psychological Analysis, P 337-366, 1982, Vladimir J Konecni and Ebbe B Ebbesen, ed. - See NCJ-87097)

• NCJ Number: 87109
• Author(s): C Maslach; R M Garber
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 30 pages
• Sale Source: W H Freeman and Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using audio tapes from actual parole hearings, this study describes the form and content of hearing interactions, identifies the decisionmaking rules of hearing officers, and assesses the congruity between the principles of the medical model and their implementation in parole decisions.

Abstract

The subjects were the hearing officers and inmates present at 100 randomly selected parole hearings of the California Adult Authority during September and October 1974. The hearings were at San Quentin and Vacaville prisons. Three independent content analyses were developed for scoring the tapes. The first analysis coded the variety and frequency of topics discussed by the hearing officers as well as the manner in which they were raised. The second analysis coded the variety and frequency of the comments made by the inmates and the responses of the hearing officers to these comments. The third analysis coded certain topic patterns and a series of legal questions. Data analyses give an overall picture of the parole hearing as a relatively short diagnostic interview session that emphasized psychological assessment. Hearing officers generally ask questions of the inmates and acknowledge the answers in a noncommittal way. Inmates typically make minimal responses to the questions and add little to present their own case. In hearings whose eventual outcome is parole, hearing officers focus on the inmate's parole plans, their prior experiences on parole, and their psychological state. In hearings that result in parole denial, hearing officers direct their questions toward the inmate's current disciplinary problems and rehabilitation activities. The inmates generally deny their guilt, complain about the legal issues surrounding their incarceration and about their treatment in prison as well as ask questions about their parole status. The issues discussed from these findings are the utility of the hearing for the decisionmakers, the contribution of the inmates in the decisionmaking process, and the fit between the theory and practice of parole decisionmaking. Tabular data and 23 references are provided.