¶ … probation and parole in the state of Pennsylvania. As in most states, probation and parole go hand-in-hand in Pennsylvania. The same agency, the Board of Probation and Parole (PBPP) oversees both agencies in the state, and they work together to ensure citizens' safety and well-being through the criminal justice system. They are an essential part of the criminal justice system, and an essential aspect of overall public safety.
Definitions of Probation and Parole
First, it is necessary to define probation and parole. Probation is when the Department of Corrections (DOC), suspends the legal sentence of a convicted person, and grants the person freedom, but with caveats. The person has to periodically report to the parole board, they have to promise good behavior, and they are subject to home visits from their probation officer. Probation can be granted to people in an alternative to prison time, as well. Parole, on the other hand, is the early release of someone in prison. They are then subject to parole officer monitoring and complying with specific terms and conditions for a specific length of time. They are also subject to home visits and must report to their parole officers periodically.
Inmate Numbers
In Pennsylvania, as in most states, has a central board that monitors and oversees parole and probation monitoring, and it is a busy job. Two writers note just how many inmates the parole board has to keep track of each year. They write, "Of these, 10,500 inmates were released from Pennsylvania state prisons and the number of inmates leaving Pennsylvania prisons has grown by nearly 15% since 1997" (Beard, and Gnall). The PBPP works very closely with the Department of Corrections in determining how to monitor released inmates, and they follow mandates in state law as to what and how they monitor. Another responsibility is ensuring that the inmates and probationers are assimilated back into society successfully.
Background of the PBPP
The state defines the board as, "The Board of Probation and Parole is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which by statute has the authority to parole and reparole and commit and recommit for violations of parole, offenders sentenced to a maximum of two or more years" (Editors). If the court demands it, the board is also responsible for sentences under two years, these are called "special probation/parole cases" (PBPP). In all other probation cases under two years, the Court of the Common Pleas, with agencies in each county, is in charge of probation. The PBPP has the overall supervisory control over these courts. This current board came about in 1941 after a specific Parole Act was passed in the state's General Assembly, and the Act has been amended many times since then. However, parole and probation existed far earlier in the state's history, but it was organized a little differently.
The Parole Process
The parole process actually begins before an inmate's release from prison. The board Web site notes, "While still incarcerated, an offender seeking approval for parole begins working with institutional parole staff to develop a plan for residence after release, and a plan for post-release employment" (PBPP). Once released, the Pennsylvania parole system is extremely structured. The "Parole Supervision Continuum" is the foundation of the parole system in the state. Each parolee is assessed by their risk to society. This risk assessment includes the parolee's time out of prison, the background of his crimes, and how he is behaving in the community. The PBPP Web site continues, "A parolee moves towards less structured supervision as he proves himself to be a productive member of society, and conversely, he moves back towards more structured supervision, up to and including reincarceration in a state prison, if his behavior deteriorates" (PBPP). This risk assessment actually begins in the DOC before the inmate is released, and continues throughout the parole period. There are four levels of supervision in the Continuum, Minimum, Medium, Maximum, and Enhanced,...
I: What do you feel is lacking in this process of parole and probation and how would one improve this? P.O: There have been many programs devised to make this process effective and recently Reintegrating Alternatives Personal Program (RAPP) was devised to reduce the recidivism rate even further. When a parolee is released back into the community, he faces a lot of problems including his transition from the prison back to
Parole reduces the financial strain on prison system in terms of costs of feeding and housing prisoners as well as overcrowding and the need to build more prisons. Parole sentences that require prisoners to volunteer involve prisoners in the local community and enable prisoners to 'pay' their debt to society and thus pay for their incarceration. Most probationers in the system are nonviolent: "three-quarters of probationers were supervised for a non-violent offense"
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
Probation and Parole Programs Individuals who are unfamiliar with the criminal justice system may think that a convicted criminal is sentenced to a certain period of time in prison and when released has paid his -- or her -- debt to society in full and is as free as anyone without a criminal record. However, in most cases, prisoners released from jail or prison are sentenced to additional time on probation
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
Probation and Parole: Supervision Probation and parole agencies supervise offenders in the community. Once an offender has been granted probation or parole, a probation or parole officer is assigned to supervise the progress of that offender in the community. There is a conflict over the duty and specificities of supervision. To some, supervision is based upon the casework model where supervision forms the basis of a treatment program. In other words, the
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now