Data for the research were collected through structured interviews over a 2-week period in January 1991 at the Eastern New York Correctional Facility. A total of 263 responses were obtained from the initial sample of 327 names. Findings show that although parole is the means by which the majority of incarcerated persons exit the correctional system, appeal is considered the single most important factor in expediting the release process. The data suggest that inmates generally view all activities thought to expedite release as important and that if an activity is perceived as important, respondents reported spending "lots of time" engaged in it; however, long periods of incarceration or the expectation of spending "lots of time" in prison seem to shift a prisoner's focus from achieving parole and parole-related activities to working on an appeal. Nevertheless, many of those surveyed expressed a desire to eliminate the "game playing" thought associated with parole, as well as a desire to have some control over the factors that determine parole readiness. Contract parole was overwhelmingly viewed as the means to achieve these aims and was the preferred suggested change in the current release process. 1 figure, 8 tables, and 32 references