The History and Nature of Parole in the United States Answers

Parole officers are responsible for monitoring the activities of parolees; offenders recently released from prison. Traditionally, only those offenders who acknowledged responsibility for their past criminal behavior and demonstrated an ability to reenter society without re-offending earned the privilege of parole. More recently, however, several state and federal courts have ruled that prison overcrowding constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In an effort to reduce their populations, several states have begun releasing offenders on parole, often years before their sentence is completed. This practice has not been well received by members of various parole boards who believe the practice of paroling offenders to reduce overcrowding robs the board of the opportunity to evaluate whether an offender is likely to comply with the conditions of his or her parole and avoid re-offending. In an essay of no less than 300 words, discuss whether the need to reduce prison overcrowding, which has been determined to be cruel and unusual punishment, is more important than the authority of the parole board to offer early release to the most qualified offenders only.