A Brief History of Parole

1
A Brief History of Parole

• Revenge of the Rehabilitative Ideal and that
  scoundrel Martinson

2
What is Parole?

• A process of discretionary release from prison
• Parole Boards
• A process of post-release supervision
• Parole Supervision

3
Early Precursors to Parole

• Parole born in the 19th century, as governments
  moved away from corporal punishments (to
  reform)
• Prisons born first, and starting to become the
  punishment of choice.
• Spain (1835) Manuel Montesinos
• Germany (1842) Georg Obermaier
• England (1837) Alexander Maconochie
• And a little love from Sir Walter Crofton
  (Ireland)

4
The Grammy goes to.Maconochie/Crofton

• Alexander Maconochie
• Warden for English penal colony at Norfolk
  Island (off coast of Austrailia)
• Criticized determinate prison terms
• Developed the mark system
• Good conduct, labor, study got marks
• Marks got you privilege, and eventually release
• Fired in 1844
• BUT, in 1853, England substitutes prison for
  transportation, and legalizes ticket-of-leave
  system
• Hired (1849) and Fired (1851) again in a
  different prison

5
Sir Walter Crofton

• Administrator of Irish Prison System
• Implements Macs plan in 1854
• Tickets of leave only for reformation
• Achievement (industry/education), positive
  attitudes
• The Irish System
• Strict Imprisonment
• Intermediate
• Ticket-of-leave
• Closer to parole than the English ticket
  (conditions, supervision)

6
Meanwhile, back in the U.S.

• National Prison Association
• Importance of 1870 Meeting in Cincinnati
• Irish System part of Declaration of
  Principles
• Principles Rehabilitative Ideal
• Indeterminate Sentences, Parole, mark system
• Zebulon the Wolverine Brockway
• Elmira Reformatory (NY) in 1876
• Indeterminate sentence x parole
• Grades of Classification (first--good--to
  third--bad)
• Parole supervision for six months
• Volunteer Guardians

7
The Rise of Parole 1900-1970s

• Indeterminate Sentencing x Parole spread rapidly
• NY first state (1907)
• All but three states by 1927
• This system reaches its peak in the 1970s
• By 1977, 72 of offenders released on parole
• Prisoner Reform (in reality?)
• Institutional Control
• Solution to Prison Crowding

8
The Attack on Parole

• Parole not liked by the American public
• But, polls as early as 1934 reveal this (still
  holds today)why in the 1970s?
• But, danger of polling questions?
• The 1970s revolution
• Conservatives (chance to pounce)
• JQ Wilson (deterrence/incapacitation only option)
• Parole as coddling criminals
• Liberals
• End racial/gender bias, boards as political
  fodder
• Fogel, Von Hirsch Justice Model

9
The Results of the Attack

• Maine eliminates parole in 1976
• By the end of 1998, 14 states abolish
• 1984 Feds phase out (still supervised release)
• 21 additional states limit discretion of parole
  board
• Only 15 states still give broad discretion
• Only 28 of inmates released by parole boards in
  1997
• End result?
• No increase in time-served (other valves)
• Truth in sentencing has had an effect
• Both prison time and parole time have increased

10
Changes in the Nature of Parole Supervision

• Like probation, parole supervisors embraced the
  surveillance and control model in the 1980s
• Whither counseling, job training, housing?
• Offenders as in need of attitude adjustment
• POs absolved of responsibility for change
• Drug testing, but no drug tretment

11
Current forms of Release

• Mandatory Release
• Conditional supervision if goodtime credits or
  other early release
• If full sentence, (expiration) no supervision,
  unless
• Supervision included in sentence
• Federal Guidelines supervised release
• Discretionary Parole Release