Disadvantages of parole 2 .
Parole in America's criminal system is one of today's most hotly debated topics in the criminal justice field is whether or not individual states should abandon the parole system. Basically parole is a release from confinement after serving part of the sentence: conditional release from prison under supervision of a parole officer who has the authority to recommend a return to prison if the conditions of parole are violated. Many people feel it is time to do away with parole, while others are fighting for its survival. As with any controversial change, mainly there is pro's and cons to parole and the argument, of all in which are very convincing. The basic arguments for and against the parole system at the state level can be easily defined. One of the strongest arguments against the destruction of the parole system is the overpopulation problem in most prisons. Since the early 1990's, the population of inmates in correctional institutions has grown astronomically. Between 1996 and 1999, prisons have seen a 41% increase in the population of violent crime offenders. For drug related offenses, the number has increased three-fold. So it would make sense to argue that eliminating parole would make this problem even worse. Inmate populations are so extreme, that prisoners are sitting on waiting lists. When an inmate is released from prison, the vacant spot is filled immediately.
Disadvantages to parole 3.
More often there is a disadvantage in parole. For one many of the public do not consider it appropriate as punishment for many offenses and believe that it depreciates the seriousness of the offense. Furthermore prosecutors often use probation as a bargaining tool, in result to that a great amount of discretion is used in determining who receives or doesn't receive it. Mainly it presents a serious threat to societal protection in some cases. In 1997 probation figures are 3,417,613 adults on federal and state probation (a rate of almost 1,600/100,000 residents).