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                                    Resources
                                    Resources By Area of Practice
                                    Topics In Corrections
                                    Parole

      

                    
          
    Parole
Parole, both a procedure by which a board administratively releases inmates from prison as well as a provision for post-release supervision, comes from the French word parol, referring to "word," as in giving one's word of honor or promise.

Over time it has come to mean an inmate's promise to conduct him- or herself in a law abiding manner and according to certain rules-in exchange for release. Persons under parole supervision served terms of incarceration and were released to live and work in the community under supervision, with continued adherences to the law monitored (Senate Research Center, 1999).

Since eligibility for release on parole is a matter of state law, there is considerable variation in the location, administration, and organization of paroling authorities in the United States. Parole boards may be autonomous panels with administrative support from a department of corrections or a community corrections agency, or they may be a part of the executive branch of state government. Some have direct responsibility for staff who monitor the supervision of parolees in the community while others do not. Regardless of the location, administration, and organization of these agencies, parole is a significant component of the criminal justice system.
                   NIC Resources
          Risk Assessment in Parole Decision-Making
          Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, Members, and Executive Staff
          Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities
          The Future of Parole as a Key Partner in Assuring Public Safety
          Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results
          Special Challenges Facing Parole
          Analysis of the Use of the Structured Decision-Making Framework in Three States
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Pretrial Release and Probation: What is the Same and What is Different?

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          Dosage Probation: A Prescription Based on Two Pilot Sites' Experiences

Topic Categories and Resources
The following grey bars are accordions that can be expanded to show a list of "top-shelf" resources that have been hand-picked by our library team around this topic. If you would like additional research assistance on this topic, please contact our help desk. They have access to specialized databases and thousands of resources you won't find online. Click on a grey box below to browse resources in that section.
            
      Accordion    Parole
      
      Special Challenges Facing Parole

            
      
This guide is designed to “lay out the context, summarize the key issues, highlight the recent research, and provide suggestions about where to find more extensive and detailed resources” about special populations parole boards may have contact with (p. xiii). Seven chapters are contained in this
              The Future of Parole as a Key Partner in Assuring Public Safety

            
      
“This paper provides suggestions and examples about how these key decisionmaking functions of parole [which offenders participate in which programs, when, and for how long] can be shaped to target resources effectively according to the principles of risk, need, and responsivity” (p. viii). Sections
              Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results

            
      
Individuals involved in making sure their parole agency’s goals are being met need to read this paper. It provides guidance for a paroling authority in “defining its vision and mission, assembling information and resources to accomplish its goals, and putting into place appropriate management and
              Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It “examines information emerging from research on evidence-based practice and decisionmaking in parole and the implications of these findings for paroling authorities” (p. viii). Five chapters comprise this document
              Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, Members, and Executive Staff

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It will introduce them to the core competencies they need to have to effectively execute their public responsibilities. Chapters cover: the broad context of parole work-parole’s function, purpose, and role in the criminal
              Comprehensive Framework for Paroling Authorities in an Era of Evidence-Based Practice

            
      
A “framework that identifies the characteristics and competencies that paroling authorities must have to be effective in implementing evidence-based practices in the context of transition programs and services” is presented (p.8). These sections follow an executive summary: introduction; the impact
  
      Role of Human Services During Community Supervision (2021)
              Kansas Prisoner Review Board: Parole and Post-Release Supervision and Revocation Technical Assistance Report (2018)
              Parole Caseloads Longer, More Violent, More Challenging Since 2005 (2017)
              Accordion    Parole Board
      
      Analysis of the Use of the Structured Decision-Making Framework in Three States

            
      
"In recent years, interest in high-quality parole decision-making has grown significantly. Paroling authorities are under considerable pressure and subject to substantial public scrutiny as they strive to reach high-quality parole decisions that ensure public safety. In this context, the Legal
              Civil Liabilities and Other Legal Issues for Probation/Parole Officers and Supervisors: 4th Edition

            
      
The legal liabilities that probation and parole officers face as they perform their duties are explained. Chapters comprising this publication are: an overview of state and federal legal liabilities; civil liability under state law-state tort cases; civil liability under federal law-Section 1983
              Special Challenges Facing Parole

            
      
This guide is designed to “lay out the context, summarize the key issues, highlight the recent research, and provide suggestions about where to find more extensive and detailed resources” about special populations parole boards may have contact with (p. xiii). Seven chapters are contained in this
              Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results

            
      
Individuals involved in making sure their parole agency’s goals are being met need to read this paper. It provides guidance for a paroling authority in “defining its vision and mission, assembling information and resources to accomplish its goals, and putting into place appropriate management and
              Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It “examines information emerging from research on evidence-based practice and decisionmaking in parole and the implications of these findings for paroling authorities” (p. viii). Five chapters comprise this document
              Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, Members, and Executive Staff

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It will introduce them to the core competencies they need to have to effectively execute their public responsibilities. Chapters cover: the broad context of parole work-parole’s function, purpose, and role in the criminal
  
      Mental Health Risk Factors and Parole Decisions: Does Inmate Mental Health Status Affect Who Gets Released (2019)
              Characteristics of Pardon Authorities (2018)
              Parole Handbook A Guide to the Parole Consideration Process for People in Georgia Prisons (2007)
              The Continuing Leverage Of Releasing Authorities: Findings from a National Survey (2016)
              Arkansas Parole Board Policy Manual (2015)
              Colorado State Board of Parole - Operational Manual (2014)

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          Robbye Braxton
      
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              Community Services Division

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              National Institute of Corrections

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