Keywords
parole boards, statutes, discretionary release; content analysis
Document Type
Article
Abstract
About one in seven individuals are currently in prison serving a life sentence. A substantial proportion of this incarcerated population have the opportunity for early release through parole. Given the complexity and variety of parole board systems, capturing a comprehensive understanding of parole decision-making is imperative. This article provides a state of the art review of statutory and administrative provisions describing parole practices for individuals serving life sentences were collected and evaluated by employing content analytical techniques. We find that the formalization of discretionary release procedures in statutes, administrative rules, and policy manuals reflects a confluence of perspectives ranging from the punitive to the rehabilitative in terms of the structure of parole boards, extent of due process rights to candidates, and the factors considered in decision-making. Conducting an inductive, exploratory examination of parole decision-making across the United States provides a new lens into the routinization and diversity of parole board practices.
Recommended Citation
Kokkalera, Stuti S. and Allison, Angelica M.
(2024)
"The (not so) United States of Parole: A State-of-the-Art Review of Discretionary Release for Individuals Serving Life,"
Journal of Criminal Justice and Law: Vol. 7:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://research.library.kutztown.edu/jcjl/vol7/iss2/2