Public Opinion and Parole Board Decision-Making

Legitimacy of parole as a consequence of policy shock: The lived experiences of incarcerated persons during the parole moratorium in Pennsylvania, U.S.

“…Additionally, the study also capitalizes on the role of lived experiences of those incarcerated, a rare opportunity in criminal justice research–despite a need for more inclusion of such perspectives in studies of crime and justice (Gilgun, 2008; Reingle Gonzalez et al, 2019). More generally, the parole moratoriums in Pennsylvania (2008) and Alabama (2018) show how decision making in discretionary parole systems can easily be affected by factors such as politics, public opinion, and media manipulation–consistent with other research that documents the effects of policy shocks in criminal justice (Fitzgerald et al, 2023b; Jennings et al, 2020; Johnson, 2009).…”

“…All of these elements emerge periodically in discussions and debates about the merits of parole throughout US history, particularly when parolees commit violent crimes. Politicians may wish to extend sentence lengths for all offenders or certain types of offenders, restrict eligibility for or even suspend parole (Goldkamp et al, 2010; Laskorunsky et al, 2023) and, under the political and public pressures, parole boards become very conservative in their decision making (Fitzgerald et al, 2023b; Laskorunsky et al, 2023). Despite their extreme rarity, homicides committed by recently released parolees become high‐profile and catalysts for politicians to frame the issues of parole, justifying implementing corrective policies to “fix” the system.…”

“…Regardless of intentions, rapid policy decisions invite scrutiny, and it is important to understand whether policy shocks affect perceptions of legitimacy and operations of the criminal legal system. Understanding the intersection of public opinion and criminal justice policy is a crucial area of inquiry (Fitzgerald et al, 2023b; Pickett, 2019), yet it is also vital to understand the viewpoints of those who are most directly affected by swift changes in criminal justice policies (e.g., the incarcerated and victims). To aid understanding of how sweeping and rapid policy changes can affect perceptions and emotions of the justice‐system involved, we hone in on a state‐wide moratorium on parole in Pennsylvania in 2008 that provides a key instantiation of a policy shock in criminal justice.…”