Parole: Release, Supervision, Eligibility, and Policy Debates

All flashcards

What is parole?

Parole is conditional, supervised release that allows a person to serve the remainder of a prison sentence in the community. The sentence continues, and violations can lead to return to prison.

How does parole differ from probation?

Parole generally follows a period of imprisonment and applies to the remaining portion of the sentence. Probation can be ordered instead of a prison sentence.

What is a commutation?

A commutation reduces or changes a sentence. Unlike parole, it alters the punishment rather than allowing someone to serve the remainder of the original prison sentence under supervision in the community.

What was Maconochie's mark system?

At Norfolk Island, prisoners earned marks for good behavior, work, and study to progress through grades toward conditional liberty. A violation could send them back to prison and restart their progression.

Why was parole used for prisoners of war?

It could ease the captor's burden of feeding and guarding prisoners, while promises not to return to combat could reduce the chance they would rejoin their former forces.

Quiz questions

1. What happened to parole for most U.S. federal offenses under the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984?Answer: Congress abolished parole for most federal offenses.
2. What is an indeterminate prison sentence?Answer: A sentence expressed as a range, such as five to fifteen years.
3. What is a technical violation of parole?Answer: A breach of a supervision condition that is not itself a new criminal offense.
4. In the United Kingdom, what may happen if a person breaches release-on-licence conditions?Answer: The person may be recalled to prison.
5. How does mandatory supervision differ from discretionary parole?Answer: Mandatory supervision follows legal requirements once they are met; discretionary parole requires an authority's release decision.