UNIFORM PAROLE REPORTS - A FEASIBILITY STUDY

• NCJ Number: 49755
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (JULY 1966) Pages: 97-111
• Author(s): D M GOTTFREDSON; K B BALLARD JR; V O'LEARY
• Date Published: 1966
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency; Ctr for Youth and Community Studies
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: ADAPTED FROM THE MORE DETAILED REPORT OF THE SAME TITLE

Annotation

THE NATIONAL PAROLE INSTITUTE STUDIED WHETHER A USEFUL INFORMATION SYSTEM DESCRIBING THE RESULTS OF PAROLE CAN BE DEVELOPED AS A JOINT EFFORT OF PAROLE AUTHORITIES.

Abstract

BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT UNIFORM REPORTING AND CASE HISTORIES PROVIDE TWO APPROACHES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A UNIFIED AND COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION AND DAILY PRACTICE, A FEASIBILITY STUDY INVOLVING THE USE OF UNIFORM PAROLE REPORTS WAS CONDUCTED. INFORMATION DESCRIBING 2,012 PAROLED MEN AND WOMEN AND THEIR PAROLE PERFORMANCE IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AFTER RELEASE WAS COLLECTED MONTHLY FROM 8 PARTICIPATING AGENCIES FOR 1 YEAR. TWELVE CASES WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE SAMPLES OF EACH AGENCY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN NATIONAL PAROLE INSTITUTE STAFF AND PARTICIPATING AGENCY PERSONNEL. DATA FROM THE PARTICIPATING AGENCIES SHOW THAT 75 PERCENT OF THE PAROLEES WERE REPORTED AS HAVING NO DIFFICULTY DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AFTER RELEASE. WHEN PAROLE PERFORMANCE WAS CLASSIFIED AS FAVORABLE OR UNFAVORABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH A DEFINED CRITERION, FAVORABLE PERFORMANCE AMONG AGENCIES RANGED FROM 52 PERCENT TO 87 PERCENT. COMBINED FIGURES FROM THE AGENCIES SHOW THAT 7 PERCENT OF PAROLEES WERE CATEGORIZED AS ABSCONDERS; ANOTHER 7 PERCENT WERE RETURNED TO PRISON AS TECHNICAL VIOLATORS WITH NO NEW CONVICTIONS, AND 3 PERCENT WERE RETURNED TO PRISON AS TECHNICAL VIOLATORS WITH MINOR OR LESSER CONVICTIONS IN LIEU OF PROSECUTION FOR THEIR OFFENSES. THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF FAVORABLE OUTCOMES WAS FOR SUBJECTS CLASSIFIED AS NEW COURT COMMITMENTS WHO WERE SENTENCED TO PRISON FOLLOWING A REVOCATION OF PROBATION. THE USE OF DRUGS AND AGE HAD NO SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON PAROLE OUTCOME. THE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT SIMPLE COMPARISONS OF PAROLE VIOLATION RATES AMONG DIFFERENT AGENCIES DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT DIFFERENCES IN AGENCY PROGRAMS, SINCE SUCH DIFFERENCES MAY BE DUE TO VARIATIONS IN TYPES OF OFFENDERS PLACED ON PAROLE. THE TENTATIVE MODEL FOR UNIFORM STATISTICS CAN PROVIDE A BASIS FOR MEANINGFUL ANALYSIS OF OTHER PAROLE EXPERIENCES, BASED ON UNIFORM REPORTING FROM DIVERSE PAROLE SYSTEMS. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL SHOULD CONTINUE AS A JOINT EFFORT OF ADMINISTRATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAROLE AGENCY DECISIONS. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED, AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. (DEP)