To ensure that parolees do visit their parole officers on time, the governor decided to give them an incentive. He stated that parolees who would report on time would receive a monthly stipend of $25. This would then lead to an increased contact rate between the parolee and the parole officer and thus would decrease the chances of recidivism as the officer would be able to keep track of the parolee's activities. Giving an incentive to people is an important way of making them do something one wants. It keeps them motivated and in the right direction because normally the actions of a person depend on what he is being rewarded for rather than what is right and what is wrong. However its weakness is that $25 is not much of a figure that a criminal would count on. He would do a hundred times better financially if he were to backslide back into crime. "I doubt that $25 a month will be incentive enough for anybody to do the right thing" (Robert Redding Jr., p.B01). Moreover giving the incentive to someone so that they would visit the parole officer is not the very best way to ensure the elimination of recidivism. There is a lot more to it which would include drug abuse, psychological conditions, lack of job etc. A program needs to be broader and should deal with an assessment and then working out on the problem discovered via the assessment. Many have opposed this plan and although this particular program has not been adopted, the intensive supervision plan should not be the only tool to fight recidivism. PART II plan to ensure the prevention and cure of recidivism, it must be targeted and specific in nature depending on the person it is dealing with. First and foremost a psychological assessment of the inmate should be made by a professional rather than volunteers or an unprofessional staff. This psychological analysis...
Once the factor is calculated, the parolee should be placed under treatment for that particular factor and it is this treatment which should be stressed upon rather than getting him any job or placing him under intense supervision. It is always better to cure a disease rather than to observe it and let it get worse. Giving $25 worth of incentives to report to the parole officer is not a good idea and apart from them reporting to a parole officer, the parole officer should also be mobile enough to go out to them if they don't appear on the scheduled day. The parolee should also be made to visit a psychologist every month who can in turn keep on updating the progress. Assistance should be given to those who require a job desperately. A program should be such that it would cover all the bases to benefit the parolee and naturally benefit the society. Rehabilitation should be provided to those addicted to drugs and their families should be involved in the rehabilitation process so that the support which he would receive from them would help his transition to a drug free much easier. I believe that a program of this nature would be successful and helpful to the inmates when they are out on parole. It would address to the specific problem which they are facing and would ensure a successful changeover from the life of a criminal to a law abiding citizen.
Parole Some might describe America as being a nation of prisoners. There is no escaping the fact that our society produces many laws that result in many infractions of these laws which eventually result in many prisoners and court cases. The role of probation and the probation officer in this chaotic mess we call the justice system plays a pivotal role in the effectiveness of a communities approach on crime. The purpose
"Public safety and assisting the offender in reintegrating into the community are the most important considerations in any parole decision. Is the inmate willing and ready to re-enter the community as a law-abiding citizen and contribute to a safer society? Can the inmate's release back into society harm the general public? All relevant information is considered" (General parole and probation questions," 2008, Criminal Law - Parole Probation, p. 3).
In 1841, Augustus bailed out a 'common drunkard', and became the first probationer. "The offender was ordered to appear in court three weeks later sentencing. He returned to court a sober man, accompanied by Augustus. To the astonishment of all in attendance, his appearance and demeanor had dramatically changed" ("A Brief History"). This would eventually evolve into today's probation system. Examples of Probation: sentence ordered by a judge instead of, or
Parole: The concept of parole has usually been misunderstood by many people because of their failures to distinguish it from probation. Parole has developed as a concept or means of lessening prison overcrowding while rehabilitating prisoners through ways that help them to secure their release through good behaviors. The process of parole basically involves the supervision of a convicted offender after serving part of their sentences in prison and being
Career as a Probation Officer Right for You? One of the most challenging and potentially rewarding careers in criminal justice is that of a probation officer. Probation officers are on the front line in working with and monitoring released offenders in an effort to prevent them from committing new crimes and being reincarcerated. By helping to keep offenders out of prison, probation officers can improve the quality of the lives
Parole List and explain the goals and purposes of parole. Parole is the conditional early release from prison or jail, under supervision, after a portion of the sentence has been served. This practice assumes that the offender successfully demonstrated conformity to the rules and regulations of the prison environment and shows an ability to conform to society's norms and laws. During the 1870s Zebulon Brockaway is credited with the passage of the
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