NCJ Number
114955
Date Published
1988
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The movement to abolish parole appears to have peaked, although some States and the Federal corrections system have eliminated discretion regarding parole release and other States have limited such discretion.
Abstract
The movement to abolish discretionary parole release began in the 1970's and still continues. Proponents of abolition argued for a much more determinate sentencing system based on the concept of just deserts to replace the rehabilitative ideal, which, they believed, had been discredited. In recent years, the pace of efforts to abolish or limit parole has slowed. In addition, some reversal has occurred in the flow of discretion away from parole boards in Florida, California, Maine, and North Carolina. Moreover, in some States paroling authorities are assuming additional roles with respect to emergency release functions. Furthermore, new studies indicate that only a small percentage of the public supports the abolition of parole release and that strong support exists for alternatives to incarceration. Compounding these factors is the overcrowding that exists in prisons throughout the Nation. This overcrowding has given the parole community the opportunity to improve its professional standing through the development of professional boards, accreditation, research in decisionmaking technology, and other measures. It is also requiring parole boards to confront the issue of risk management in relation to offenders who, when prisons were not overcrowded, would not have been seriously considered for parole.