Parole Administration and Services

In many states, parole is a significant component of the correctional system and includes the parole board, institutional parole services, and field parole services. The divisions of parole may be administered differently from state to state, but they all work together to provide offenders an opportunity for early release.

Under the consolidated model, parole also handles supervision of inmates out on parole. Parole may be granted for various reasons, but typically the severity of the inmate's crime and his criminal history play an important part. After release, field parole services takes over, providing the necessary supervision and support the parolee needs to succeed. The length of parole varies by state, but in all states, it is the parole agent who monitors a parolee's compliance with the conditions of his or her parole. But do all inmates have a right to be considered for parole?

This resource provides instruction for users to:

• Explain how parole services are administered
• Define conditional release
• Explain parole board procedures
• Describe the role of the parole board
• List the responsibilities of institutional and field services parole staff
• Describe conditions of parole and how the length of supervision is determined
• Explain the different types of parole violations and the revocation process
• Examine how legal decisions have impacted parole
• Identify the different types of clemency