Parole is the act of releasing prisoners after they have served their complete jail sentence. It is a practice in many countries as a way of reforming corrective measures applied to prisoners. The parolees are not allowed complete freedom, but parole officers monitor them. This corrective measure extends to prisoners under conditions that they reform and restrain from drugs, engage in constructive work and constantly keep in touch with the authorities. Failure to honour the terms of release would lead to withdrawal of parole and the parolee taken back to prison (Petersilia, 2003, p 122).
This concept originates from the prisoners of war who were being corrected not to engage in war activities again, not unless they were absorbed into any security personnel. This measure has significant impact on the lives of prisoners by giving a second chance for a better life. Many countries in the world have embarked on prison paroles as a modern way of correcting criminals. This paper explores the benefits that this measure has in state corrections at present (King, 2007, p 124).
The prisons and state authorities use parole to ensure public safety from the prisoners who complete their jail sentences. Paroles are rolled out to the low risk prisoners to ensure less risk to the community. This is maintained through regulations that make it difficult for capital offenders to qualify for state paroles (Abadinsky, 2003, p 59).
It is a strategy of managing the prison capacities, where offenders who have undergone the disciplinary process are reprieved of restrictions by serving their sentences outside the jail. Over the years, the state prisons have experienced increase in prisoner population, hence the need to control the problem in a manner that the security is not a compromise. Parole serves as a test to prove the readiness of the offenders to fit into the community (King, 2007, p 125). The behaviour assessment by parole officers indicate the level of reformation that a prisoner has acquired in the sentence. If it is noted to be inadequate, the sentence can be extended in the prison. In addition, it is a test on the skills gained and the economic impact of the correct application by the parolees. This system also abides to the bid by the society to seek a better way of improving the prisoners' lives not only by punishment but by correcting their relations with people.
The states and federal parole systems are different due to the parties that handle the two. Federal parole is not very common in the states, and was stopped for any convictions after 1987. The only equivalent is a probation that allows imprisonment outside jail perimeters. This federal differs from the state parole legislations due to flexibility in State operations. The state sentences allow paroling as opposed to the federal system. When state paroles are given, the parolees can be monitored by any security agency but for federal, they have to report to the parole officer (Petersilia, 2003, p 216).
The main purpose of parole is to check whether a prisoner is reformed and able to live in harmony with the society without posing security threats. One qualifies for a parole if he or she does not have a minimum sentence period commonly known as non-parole period. A prisoner’s eligibility for a parole is dependent on the period of the sentence. A parole is allowed to offenders automatically by the board that is in control if the sentence allowed parole (Petersilia, 2003, p 216) .
A parole officer acts as the monitoring authority to a parolee from state prisons. The officer receives frequent reports by the beneficiaries and decides upon evaluation whether a prisoner should be granted full freedom. The parole system is important in ensuring the safety of the citizens because state prisons take the responsibility of assessing the parolees. It is a way of shaping the behaviour of offenders other than punishment only. However, there is need to consider the rate at which the state paroles are offered because they can be a major threat to the security if not controlled well. It is worth noting the bad implications of federal system, which does not allow paroles to prisoners (Abadinsky, 2003, p 59).
Works cited
Abadinsky, Howard. Probation and parole: theory and practice. 8th Ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2003. Print.
King, Ryan S. "Recent Developments In State Parole Reform, 2004–2006." Federal Sentencing Reporter 20.1 (2007): 124-126. Print.
Petersilia, Joan. When prisoners come home: parole and prisoner reentry. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.
