Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This document presents a comprehensive study of the organization and functions of the United States Board of Parole as of January 1956. The research outlines the legislative purpose of the federal parole system, which is to restore offenders considered good risks to society through a process of rehabilitation that bridges the gap between prison life and community freedom. The author distinguishes parole from probation and pardons, defining it as an administrative act where the prisoner remains in legal custody while serving the remainder of a sentence under supervision. 

The historical analysis traces the origins of parole from European concepts of conditional liberation to the first American systems of indenture for juveniles. It details the evolution of federal legislation, starting with the Act of 1910, which created the system, followed by the centralization of authority under an independent agency in 1930. Subsequent reforms in 1948 and 1950 expanded the board to eight members and shifted appointment authority to the President. A major focus is the Youth Correction Division, established to provide specialized treatment and indeterminate sentencing for offenders under twenty-two years of age. 

The board operates as a quasi-judicial body with the power to grant or revoke parole and establish supervision policies. Selection for parole involves a detailed review of an inmate’s social history, prison conduct, and post-release plans. Supervision is executed by federal probation officers who balance watchful control with constructive aid. The study identifies critical needs for the system, including more clinical research, increased field staff to manage heavy case loads, and better public understanding to ensure the successful rehabilitation of offenders.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: The United States Board of Parole faced significant public criticism and misapprehension regarding its philosophy, requiring a clear definition of parole as an administrative act of rehabilitation rather than a judicial act of forgiveness or a pardon. 

  • The Method: This 1956 Washington Semester project utilizes personal interviews with Board members and staff, legislative analysis of the Parole Acts of 1910, 1930, and 1950, and a historical review of European and American penal developments. 

  • Quantitative Finding: As of 1954, the Board conducted 10,200 prisoner interviews across 130 meetings at 30 institutions; the parole grant rate was 36.4% compared to a 63.4% denial rate; 7,557 individuals were under active supervision; the violation rate for all parolees was 19.7%, while the juvenile violation rate was significantly higher at 48.2%. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Key organizational improvements include the 1950 creation of the Youth Correction Division to address offenders under age 22; the centralization of parole authority from individual prisons to a single Washington-based board; and the requirement that Board members possess specialized training in law, medicine, criminology, or sociology. 

Publication Date

1-1956

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