Exam 12: Release and Reentry

Currently, parole board members are required to follow only very general guidelines in determining whether an inmate should be released from confinement. Do you feel that specific criteria should be developed that parole board members must consider in making conditional release decisions? Some U.S. state parole boards are required by law to use statistical assessment models that indicate whether the offender is likely to reoffend and to base their decision on the results of a statistical analysis. In your view, what are the positive features, and drawbacks, of such models?

What are the "pains of reentry" and why is this concept important in the study of corrections and conditional release?

What is meant by the "dual role" of parole officers?

What were your impressions of the description of the parole hearings in the Ontario region presented in Box 11.3? Critique the process as described and offer suggestions for how the parole hearing process could be improved.

The process of determining inmate parole eligibility is predictive and future-based.

Identify and discuss the unique challenges the following offender groups face on conditional release: mentally disordered offenders and sex offenders. Brainstorm programming ideas to address the unique challenges these special offender groups face on conditional release. Additionally, consider the challenges of implementing such initiatives, considering criminal justice system support and public support.

Claire is an inmate who has been granted a release to attend a family member's funeral. She will be accompanied by several family members and will return to the institution after the funeral. What form of release is this?

Day parole is only available to federal inmates.

What do statistics indicate regarding parole in Canada?

Garrett has been released on parole and is having trouble adjusting to the pace of life outside of the institution. He has very little family support and feels socially isolated. What is Garrett experiencing?

The grant rates for federal parole in Canada have increased by nearly 20 percent since 2007.

What are the specific challenges for women who are released on parole?

Federal offenders are more likely than provincial/territorial offenders to apply for conditional release.

Discuss the effectiveness of conditional release based on statistics found in the textbook. Discuss the impact of negative stories, such as the Clinton Suzack case, on the public's perception of the effectiveness of conditional release. What do you suggest criminal justice personnel do to correct public misperceptions about the success and failure of offenders on conditional release?

Identify and discuss the most commonly voiced criticisms of parole board decision making.

Griffiths argues that declines in parole grant rates may be, in part, due to a shift toward a punitive penology. Why is this shift occurring? What does this mean for the future of parole in Canada?

Which of the following is NOT a frequently mentioned problem facing offenders upon reentry, as found in a survey of federal and provincial correctional personnel?

Dylan has recently been released from an institution after serving two-thirds of his sentence. He has a history of violence and has been in and out of institutions since age 15. He is at high risk of re-offence. Which program is Dylan a good candidate for?

All federal inmates are eligible to apply for full parole after serving one-third of their sentence.

Parole board members are limited in the types of questions they can pose to parolees.