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Abolishing Parole for Offenders Sentenced to Prison for Violent Offenses: Impact Analysis

NCJ Number
157926
Author(s)
P Martinez; B Bryan; E Benson; W L Cawthon; S Dhir; R Fuessel
Date Published
1995
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This report examines the prison population and fiscal impact of abolishing parole for violent offenders sentenced to Texas prisons.
Abstract
The analysis assumes that, under a no parole policy, offenders would be released from prison after serving 85 percent of their sentences. This policy would allow the use of good time awards as a prison management tool and would allow offenders to serve a period under a community supervision after being released from prison. A no parole policy would increase the amount of time violent offenders must stay in prison before release and would commit Texas to growing incarceration costs in the future. The impact of abolishing parole for aggravated violent offenders only would start in 1998 and continue to 2046. The fiscal impact of abolishing parole for all violent offenders would start in 1996 and continue to 2046. The impact of a no parole policy is also discussed in terms of prison construction and operational costs, inmate disciplinary violations and the need for additional administrative segregation beds to handle these cases, and the creation of a larger elderly population in prison since more offenders will serve their full sentences in prison. Tables and figures