Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of criminal justice. Specifically, it discusses the measurement of parole effectiveness and how people measure its effectiveness. The paper relates that, for most people, parole effectiveness is measured by how many parolees and probationers remain free from crime and do not return to prison. The paper also contends that with such a large and diverse parole population, it is extremely difficult to measure the exact amount of parole effectiveness in the United States, and it is extremely difficult to gauge the effectiveness of parole in the future. There are predictors and measurements that apply both to adult and juvenile offenders, and those predictions and measurements fill the scope of this paper.

From the Paper:

"Perhaps one of the most important issues in measuring the effectiveness of parole is the lack of real research and study of the problem. The Council notes, "As this review unmistakably demonstrates, the application of scientifically rigorous methods in research and evaluation on community supervision has not been the norm and is only now beginning to emerge" (National Research Council, 2008, p. 81). That means that much measurement is speculation at best, especially when one takes into consideration the many problems associated with measurement that are discussed below in this paper. In addition, there are very few studies of community support projects and other support for parolees, and so, the true effectiveness of these programs really is not known, even though there are strong beliefs they do add to the overall success of the parolee. What is clear, if nothing else is that a lot more study needs to go into effective parole techniques in order to get a true perspective on the measurement of parole effectiveness."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burke, P.B. (2004).Parole violations revisited: A handbook on strengthening parole practices for public safety and successful transition to the community. Silver Spring, MD: Center for Effective Public Policy.
• Burrell, W.D. (2004). Trends in probation and parole in the States. Retrieved 16 Oct. 2008 from the American Probation and Parole Association Web site: andhttp://www.appa-net.org/ccheadlines/docs/Trends_Probation_Parole.pdf.
• Cassel, R. N. (2003). First, second and third force psychology serve as the only scientific means for determining parole readiness and prison reform. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 30(2), 144+.
• Johnston, J. D. (2003, December). Military parole: The final steps toward responsible citizenship. Corrections Today, 65, 88+.
• National Research Council . (2008). Parole, desistance from crime, and community integration. Committee on Community Supervision and Desistance from Crime. Committee on Law and Justice, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

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