NCJ Number
174559
Date Published
1998
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This report provides data and information on the operations of Georgia's Board of Pardons and Parole in fiscal year 1997.
Abstract
During fiscal year 1997 the Board intensified its efforts at ensuring that violent, repeat, and sexual offenders serve longer periods of time in prison as punishment for their crimes. The focus on these types of offenders has produced significant results. Sex offenders are serving increasingly higher percentages of their prison sentences; the Board's parole denial rate for life-sentenced inmates remains extremely high (over 95 percent); and nonviolent offenders comprise 85 percent of releases to parole supervision. In a major step to provide better services to the public, the Parole Board established a Victims and Community Advisory Council composed of victim advocates, criminal justice practitioners, and other concerned citizens. The 14 volunteer members will keep the Board informed of victim and community needs in their areas and will assist the Board in designing improved services to respond to those needs. By focusing on education, employment, drug abuse, and cognitive traits, the agency's limited resources are applied toward reducing the rate at which parolees return to prison. Data tables and figures address the denial rate for persons serving life sentences, the percentage of sentence served by sex offenders, nonviolent releases, the proportion of parolees who offend, parole officer workload, a summary of Board activities, and a summary of Board expenditures.