Parole? Nope, Not for Me: Voluntarily Maxing Out of Prison

• Published in: Crime and delinquency 2011-09, Vol.57 (5), p.686-708
• Main Author: Ostermann, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Correctional Education; Correctional Institutions; Correctional treatment programs; Criminal sentences; Criminology; Decision making; Decisions; Defense Mechanisms; Denial; Discretionary release; Group Membership; Imprisonment; Institutionalized Persons; Intragroup relations; Law Enforcement; Membership; Multivariate Analysis; New Jersey; Offenders; Parole; Parole & probation; Parole boards; Parole officers; Policy Formation; Policy Making; Predictor Variables; Prisoner rehabilitation; Prisoners; Prisons; Public Policy; Recidivism; Speech; Supervision; U.S.A
• ISSN: 0011-1287; 1552-387X
• DOI: 10.1177/0011128710372194

This study addresses the phenomenon of inmates voluntarily forgoing parole supervision and opting to remain in prison until the maximum expiration of their sentence. The research was conducted to inform public policy makers about the potential repercussions of this decision-making process and to help guide future policy and legislative proposals that would target this group of inmates. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to explore characteristics of this population with regard to postrelease recidivism and prerelease indicators of recidivism. A 2005 group of voluntary max outs are contrasted with those who are forced to max out due to continual parole denial as well as those who are released to parole supervision. All offenders were released in the state of New Jersey. Although several between-group differences were apparent between both max out groups and the parole group at a bivariate level, differences between the two max out groups were far less pronounced. Multivariate Cox regression models indicated that, after controlling for pertinent predictor variables, the likelihood of experiencing a new arrest and/or incarceration after release did not significantly differ according to group membership. Findings suggest that parole boards that make decisions in discretionary release systems should more closely analyze the release opportunities that already present themselves to their agencies but are not capitalized on. Because those who are forced to max through continual denial of parole demonstrated such similar prerelease characteristics to the voluntary max out group, it is unlikely that many who would have otherwise voluntarily maxed their sentence would be paroled if the ability to make this decision were taken away.