NCJ Number
142817
Date Published
1992
Length
17 pages
Annotation
A review of the Earned Eligibility Program administered by New York State's Department of Correctional Services from October 1991 through March 1992 indicates that 11,167 initial hearings were held for inmates who had been evaluated for a Certificate of Earned Eligibility.
Abstract
Of the 11,167 hearings, 7,434 (67 percent) were issued certificates prior to their initial board; 2,478 (22 percent) were denied certificates, and 1,255 (11 percent) were noncertifiable for earned eligibility at the time of review. Inmates who were issued certificates were substantially more likely to be granted parole than those denied certificates or those granted noncertifiable status. During the 6-month period, 81 percent of inmates issued certificates were granted parole, compared to 37 percent of those denied certificates and 57 percent of those granted noncertifiable status. Based on the previous 50-percent release rate at initial hearings, 5,583 initial releases were projected for the October 1991- March 1992 boards. The actual number of initial releases totaled 7,642, an additional 1,058 releases above the projected level. A followup study found that the return rate of released individuals with certificates was significantly lower than the return rate of a preprogram comparison group. 7 tables and 1 figure