Parole

Lore & Background

The practice of paroling enemy troops began thousands of years ago, at least as early as the time of Carthage. Parole allowed the prisoners' captors to avoid the burdens of having to feed and care for them while still avoiding having the prisoners rejoin their old ranks once released; it could also allow the captors to recover their own men in a prisoner exchange. Hugo Grotius, an early international lawyer, favorably discussed prisoner of war parole. During the American Civil War, both the Dix–Hill Cartel and the Lieber Code set out rules regarding prisoner of war parole. He developed a plan to prepare them for eventual return to society that involved three grades. The first two consisted of promotions earned through good behaviour, labour, and study. The third grade in the system involved conditional liberty outside of prison while obeying rules. A violation would return them to prison and they would start all over again through the ranks of the three-grade process. He reformed its ticket of leave system, instituting what many consider to be the world's first parole system. Prisoners served indeterminate sentences from which they could be released early if they showed evidence of rehabilitation through participation in a graded classification system based on a unit of exchange called a mark. Prisoners earned marks through good behavior, lost them through bad behavior, and could spend them on passage to higher classification statuses ultimately conveying freedom. Maconochie influenced the development of modern parole systems used in the United States, which is reflected in similar ideas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Reader's Guide

Parole represents a significant shift in penology from purely punitive incarceration to supervised reintegration. This idea influenced parole systems in the United States and elsewhere. Parole differs from pardon, amnesty, or commutation of sentence in that parolees are still considered to be serving their sentences and may be returned to prison if they violate conditions. It is similar to probation, the key difference being that parole is served for the remainder of a prison sentence, while probation can be granted in place of a prison sentence. In some jurisdictions in the United States, people may shorten their time on parole through earned compliance credits. The practice has ancient roots in prisoner-of-war parole, where captives gave their word not to rejoin combat, a concept later codified in international law. Today, parole systems vary widely by country, with eligibility criteria, conditions, and revocation procedures differing. For example, in Canada, prisoners are eligible for full parole after serving one-third of their sentences, while in New Zealand, inmates serving short sentences are automatically released after half their sentence. The parole system remains a subject of debate regarding public safety, rehabilitation, and prison overcrowding.

Did You Know?

• The term 'parole' originates from the French word for 'speech, spoken words' but also 'promise', and became associated during the Middle Ages with the release of prisoners who gave their word.
• In some jurisdictions in the United States, people may shorten their time on parole through earned compliance credits.