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Parole, parole boards and the institutional dilemmas of contemporary prison release.

Authors :
Guiney, Thomas C
Source :
Punishment & Society. Jul2023, Vol. 25 Issue 3, p621-640. 20p.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

The decision to release is a defining feature of the carceral experience: at once a necessary function of a dynamic penal system, and a highly contested form of symbolic communication where the anxieties and contradictions of contemporary penality begin to coalesce. In this paper I argue that the institutions we rely upon to make these determinations in a fair, consistent and efficient manner are under increasing strain. Drawing upon insights from historical institutionalism, I seek to show that the parole board model of discretionary decision-making that first emerged during the highwater mark of mid-twentieth century penal modernism has proved remarkably resilient to reform, but is slowly fracturing into a more complex, multi-layered prison release landscape. I explore the implications of this gradual historical transformation and conclude this paper with a call for new ways of thinking about prison release as an increasingly interconnected sphere of penal governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14624745
Volume :
25
Issue :
3
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Punishment & Society
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
164374881
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1177/14624745221097371