THE TEXT OPENS WITH AN HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF IDEOLOGY AND PRACTICE RELATING TO PAROLE. THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE U.S. BOARD OF PAROLE ARE EXAMINED AS AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF THE STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF PAROLE TODAY. A DISCUSSION OF THE CASE OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. DAVID DONNER IS THEN PROVIDED TO ILLUSTRATE THE BOARD'S ACTUAL PRACTICE IN THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS. FROM THIS ANALYSIS, MANY OF THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AND FACTORS THE BOARD CONSIDERS IMPORTANT IN MAKING ITS DETERMINATION OF RELEASE OR FURTHER INCARCERATION ARE MADE APPARENT. TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER THE POLICIES OF PAROLE, AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE PAROLE BOARD'S DECISIONMAKING PROCESS IS MADE, USING THE METHOD OF MULTIVARIATE NOMINAL ANALYSIS. IN THIS STUDY, DATA USED WERE GATHERED BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY ON 7,286 INMATES IN FEDERAL PRISONS WHO APPEARED BEFORE THE U.S. BOARD OF PAROLE BETWEEN 1970 AND 1972. RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE IS SOME DISPARITY BETWEEN WHAT THE BOARD SAYS IT HAS BEEN CONSIDERING IN ITS PAROLING POLICY AND WHAT FACTORS SEEM TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE OUTCOME OF PAROLE HEARINGS. LENGTH OF SENTENCE AND AMOUNT OF TIME SERVED ARE FOUND TO BE THE MOST VALUABLE PREDICTORS OF PAROLE DECISION OUTCOME. THE FINAL SECTION OF THIS TEXT CONTAINS A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN PAROLE. IN PARTICULAR, THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES HOW SOCIAL SCIENCE HAS BEEN USED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES TO SUPPORT EXISTING POWER STRUCTURES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)....DMC