Parole guidelines
According to Bartollas and Siegel (2018), parole guidelines consist of actuarial devices used to predict the risk of recidivism based on the offender’s information and crime committed. If possible, I would set some five new parole guidelines for today’s offenders. First, I would consider the offender’s good behavior demonstrated during parole; secondly, the inmate’s degree of remorse for the offense. Then, the offender’s characteristics, including marital status and mental stability. Again, I would consider an inmate’s ability to establish a permanent residence and obtain meaningful employment after release. Last but not least, I would consider the nature of the crime committed.
I would never allow sex offenders and murderers to be considered for parole. Imagine the torture of seeing your rapist daily, free within the community, or even worse, seeing your family’s, relative’s or friend’s murderer roaming freely on the streets. This is not only offending but a torturous nightmare to victims and their families. However, I would consider the drug offenders to be released for parole. Drug offense entails the possession, sale, use, and furnishing of any drug or intoxicating substance prohibited by the law. Drug offenders can be released to finalize their sentences from within the community because their presence does not interfere with anyone’s life. What they need is supervision and enrollment for drug treatment and rehabilitation.
The factors that would make the basis for the release decision are; the crime for which the offender was convicted and time served on the current offense. For instance, John is a non-violent drug offender who has served about two-thirds of his sentence. John has been conducting himself in the best behavior, and he appears to be responding positively to the drug treatment programs. John has a high chance of being released for parole.