THE HISTORY OF PAROLE IN THE UNITED STATES IS REVIEWED, AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PAROLE AND PROBATION AND BETWEEN PAROLE AND PARDON ARE EXPLAINED. AN EXAMINATION OF THEORIES, AIMS, AND FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PAROLE INCLUDES A REVIEW OF ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF PAROLE AND AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH PAROLE IS USED. THE ADMINISTRATION OF PAROLE ORGANIZATIONS, PERSONNEL PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING WHEN PAROLE IS TO BE GRANTED IS DISCUSSED, AN PRISON ACTIVITIES AIMED AT PREPARING THE INMATE FOR PAROLE ARE DESCRIBED. METHODS OF PREDICTING PAROLE SUCCESS OR FAILURE ARE SUMMARIZED. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT PAROLE PREDICTION TABLES ARE NOT TO BE USED AS MECHANICAL DEVICES FOR DISPOSING OF PRISONERS, BUT RATHER ARE INTENDED TO SUPPLEMENT THE EXPERIENCE AND JUDGEMENT OF DECISIONMAKERS. FACTORS INFLUENCING ELIGIBILITY FOR AND EDUCATION OF PAROLE ARE CONSIDERED, SUCH AS THE SENTENCE, GOOD TIME DEDUCTIONS, CRIMINAL HISTORY, OVERCROWDING IN PRISONS, RACE, MARITAL STATUS, NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS, NATURE OF OFFENSE, AND AGE. PAROLE SUPERVISION AGENCIES, PERSONNEL, AND METHODS ARE DISCUSSED, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT FOR PAROLEES AND OTHER FACTORS IN PAROLE SUPERVISION. PAROLE REVOCATION PRACTICES ARE EXAMINED. THE RELATION OF PAROLE TO INDETERMINATE SENTENCING IS CONSIDERED. AN ANALYSIS OF PAROLE IN NEW YORK STATE COVERS THE DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY OF LAWS AFFECTING PAROLE IN NEW YORK, THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE PAROLE BOARD, PAROLE HEARINGS, INDETERMINATE SENTENCING AND PAROLE, GOOD TIME AND PAROLE PARTICIPATION IN INTERSTATE COMPACTS, AND PAROLE COMMISSIONS (ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAKE PAROLE DECISIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS OTHER THAN STATE PRISONS). IT IS POINTED OUT THAT MUCH OF THE CRITICISM LEVELED AT PAROLE IS SUPERFICIAL, AND THAT PAROLE OFTEN SERVES AS A SCAPEGOAT. HOWEVER, MANY CRITICISMS OF SPECIFIC SHORTCOMINGS IN PAROLE SYSTEMS ARE VALID, AND SHORTCOMINGS MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE PAROLE CAN BE PROPERLY EVALUATED. STRONG SUPPORT IS EXPRESSED FOR THE INDETERMINTE SENTENCE, FOR WELL-QUALIFIED PAROLE BOARDS, AND FOR ADEQUATELY STAFFED AND FUNDED PAROLE AGENCIES. THE PAROLE SYSTEMS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEW YORK, AND NEW JERSEY, ARE CITED AS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)