Marc Levin, who serves as Vice President for Right on Crime, has two great new “Policy Perspective” briefs on parole and probation systems. Below are the titles, links and “Key Points” from the start of both great documents:
Ten Tips for Policymakers for Parole
Key Points
• The criteria for deciding who is paroled should be objective and focused on reducing risks to public safety going forward.
• Parole boards should possess a diverse range of relevant areas of expertise and provide opportunities for meaningful participation by parole candidates and others with an interest in the outcome.
• Parole supervision and reentry should emphasize removing barriers to employment, incentives for performance, quality interactions between parole officers and those they supervise, and avenues for community-based organizations to assist people coming out of prison.
Ten Tips for Policymakers for Improving Probation
Key Points
• Probation can be an alternative or gateway to incarceration.
• Probation should be right-sized to serve only those individuals who require supervision for only the limited time period that their assessment and conduct indicate a continued need for supervision.
• Incentives should drive probation policy, both for agencies and those they supervise.