NCJ Number
153824
Date Published
1995
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This report provides a description and evaluation of New York State's shock parole, which is the aftercare provided graduates of the shock incarceration program.
Abstract
Prerelease planning begins early; officers work closely with the inmate, the inmate's family, and community service agencies to develop a residence and employment program prior to release. Shock supervision objectives for parolees include securing a job within 1 week of release and enrolling in an academic or vocational program within 2 weeks of release. Supervision objectives are demanding and include mandatory substance-abuse counseling, attendance at a Community Network Program, curfew checks, and frequent random urinalysis testing of the graduates. Specialized employment and vocational services have been established through a contract with Vera Institute's Neighborhood Work Project and Vocational Development Program. A typical shock graduate is a single young minority male who resides in New York City and has a history of substance abuse and a conviction for a drug offense. A follow-up study involved tracking a group of shock graduates (n=7,664) and three groups of nonshock parolees: preshock offenders (n=4,291), offenders who were considered for shock (n=8,277), and a group of shock removals (n=2,771) who were released to parole supervision between March 1988 and March 1993. Findings show that shock parolees are generally more or just as likely to adjust successfully in the community compared to comparison group parolees after the completion of 12, 24, 36, 48, or 60 months time despite having spent considerably less time in State prison.