NCJ Number
67843
Date Published
1979
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE PAROLE PERFORMANCE OF 380 OHIO INMATES DENIED SHOCK PAROLE IN 1976 AND LATER RELEASED ON REGULAR PAROLE IS COMPARED WITH THAT OF 486 INMATES GRANTED SHOCK PAROLE, IN A 1-YEAR FOLLOWUP STUDY.
Abstract
THE TWO GROUPS WERE SIMILAR IN TERMS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND EMPLOYMENT SITUATION AFTER 1 YEAR ON PAROLE, ALTHOUGH THE RATE OF RETURN TO PRISON WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER FOR THE DENIED GROUP. SURPRISINGLY, SHOCK PAROLEES WERE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY AS THE DENIED GROUP TO HAVE ACHIEVED FINAL RELEASE AFTER 1 YEAR ON PAROLE. INMATES ELIGIBLE FOR SHOCK PAROLE, WHETHER GRANTED OR DENIED SHOCK PAROLE RELEASE, FARED MUCH BETTER ON PAROLE THAN DID INELIGIBLE INMATES. INMATES WHO RECEIVED SHOCK PAROLE IN 1976 AVERAGED ABOUT 9 MONTHS IN PRISON, COMPARED TO 18.1 MONTHS FOR THOSE DENIED SHOCK PAROLE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, OVERALL, SHOCK PAROLEES DO NOT APPEAR TO BE DOING BETTER ON PAROLE THAN ELIGIBLE INMATES WHO ARE DENIED SHOCK PAROLE. ELIGIBLE OFFENDERS, I.E., THOSE WITH LIMITED CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS, DO FAIRLY WELL ON PAROLE REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF RELEASE. IT IS FURTHER CONCLUDED THAT, WHILE THE FINDINGS DO NOT SUGGEST THAT EARLY RELEASE ENHANCES PAROLE SUCCESS RATES, THEY DO INDICATE THAT MORE INMATES ELIGIBLE FOR SHOCK PAROLE COULD BE GRANTED EARLY RELEASE WITHOUT INCREASING THE RATE OF RETURN TO PRISON. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. NO DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOCK PAROLE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED.