Prisoners' understanding and experiences of parole

Abstract

Background: In Scotland, as elsewhere, there has been growing political and public interest in the function and process of parole accompanied by a lack of empirical research on the operation and effectiveness of parole. Aims: Against the backdrop of a Scottish Government review of parole aimed, among other things, at improving the transparency of the process, the aim of the study was to explore the experiences of prisoners seeking early release on licence. Methods: In conjunction with the Scottish Prison Service a national survey was conducted of 197 long-term prisoners who had experience of seeking early release on parole. Findings: The survey revealed that prisoners did not have a clear understanding of parole and often did not feel fully engaged in the process. Conclusions: It is argued that better support for prisoners prior to, during and following parole hearings might foster their increased engagement and alleviate some of the anxiety associated with the parole process.

“The Second Sentencing”: A Qualitative Exploration of Women Going Up for Parole

“…Other women also talked about crying once they found out and being excited to go home to their families, especially their children. Unsurprisingly, the women's reports of positive feelings after being granted parole contrast with prior research focusing on the feelings of individuals denied parole who felt frustrated and upset (Kelly et al, 2020;West-Smith et al, 2000).…”

“…The people they feel are going to come right back are released, and then they come back with new charges with longer stays." The common fear of denial is unsurprising, considering past research found that paroleseeking individuals feel anxiety before their hearing (Kelly et al, 2020).…”

“…Previous literature on parole hearings focuses on the parole board's perspective, with little attention paid to the individuals going up for parole. When incarcerated individuals' perspectives are explored, they tend to use majority male samples with few women (Lavin-Loucks & Levan, 2018;Silverstein, 2006;West-Smith et al, 2000) included and used quantitative methods (Harbinson & Ruhland, 2020;Huebner & Bynum, 2006;Kelly et al, 2020;(Renaud, 2019;Ruhland et al, 2016;Tewksbury & Connor, 2012). The current study fills a gap in the literature by qualitatively exploring parole-seeking women's experiences, which is a study strength.…”

“…The studies also tend to use quantitative data and analysis rather than qualitative (e.g., Harbinson & Ruhland, 2020;Huebner & Bynum, 2006;Kelly et al, 2020;(Renaud, 2019;Ruhland et al, 2016;Tewksbury & Connor, 2012). When qualitative methods are used, the samples either include both men and women (e.g., Lavin-Loucks & Levan, 2018;Silverstein, 2006;West-Smith et al, 2000), only include the parole board members (e.g., Connor, 2016;Ruhland, 2020), or include parole-seeking individuals and parole board members (e.g., Lavin-Loucks & Levan, 2018;Silverstein, 2006).…”

“…Between 2009 and 2015, Michigan’s male prison population decreased by 8%, but women experienced a 30% increase (Sawyer, 2018). Despite women’s growing presence in the criminal justice system, most studies on parole hearings use primarily male samples (e.g., Huebner & Bynum, 2006; Kelly et al, 2020; West-Smith et al, 2000), or they ignore parole-seeking individuals entirely and focus solely on the parole board (e.g., Connor, 2016; Harbinson & Ruhland, 2020; Ruhland, 2020; Ruhland et al, 2016).…”