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PAROLE SUCCESS INDICATORS - ARIZONA STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS EVALUATION REPORT, JUNE 1975

NCJ Number
68943
Date Published
1975
Length
42 pages
Annotation
INDICATORS OF THE PROBABILITY FOR THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF JUVENILE AND ADULT PAROLES WERE DETERMINED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE FOR THEIR USE.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE WAS COMPRISED OF 320 ADULTS AND 806 JUVENILES WHO WERE COMMITTED TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND WHO WERE TERMINATED FROM PAROLE IN 1974 AFTER SERVING THEIR ENTIRE PAROLE UNDER ARIZONA SUPERVISION. IN BOTH GROUPS, SUB-GROUPS WERE SELECTED BASED ON DESCRIPTIVE VARIABLES (SEX, ETHNIC, AGE, COMMITTING OFFENSE, SENTENCING COUNTY, AND ADMITTED USE OF NARCOTICS) AND PAROLE PROGRAM VARIABLES (EMPLOYMENT, LIVING ARRANGEMENTS, COUNTY OF RESIDENCE, SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF PAROLE, AND NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SUPERVISING PAROLE OFFICERS). EACH SUB-GROUP OF PAROLEES WAS THEN COMPARED TO THE GROUP AS A WHOLE TO DETERMINE THE PROPORTION OF SUCCESSES, CONDITIONAL SUCCESSES, AND FAILURES, AND THE DIFFERENCES WERE TESTED FOR STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE USING THE CHI-SQUARE TEST. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE INDICATORS FOR A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF ADULT PAROLE SUCCESS WERE (BY ORDER OF THEIR IMPORTANCE IN EACH CASE) (1) A SKILLED JOB, (2) ANY FULL-TIME JOB, (3) AN INCOME ABOVE $600 PER MONTH, (4) PAROLE AFTER THE 40TH BIRTHDAY, AND (5) RESIDENCE WITH A SPOUSE. HOWEVER, ADULTS FACED A LOWER PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS IF THEY WERE (1) UNEMPLOYED, (2) COMMITTED FOR ROBBERY, (3) BLACK, OR (4) REQUIRED PARTICIPATION IN DRUG OR ALCOHOL COUNSELING. JUVENILES HAD A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS IF THEY WERE (1) PAROLED AFTER THEIR 17TH BIRTHDAYS, (2) EMPLOYED FULL-TIME, (3) FEMALE, (4) IN AN INDEPENDENT LIVING SITUATION, OR (5) COMMITTED FOR RUNAWAY. A LOWER PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS WAS FOUND AMONG THOSE JUVENILES WHO (1) WERE PAROLED BEFORE THEIR 16TH BIRTHDAYS, (2) WERE UNEMPLOYED, (3) LIVED WITH A SINGLE PARENT, (4) WERE COMMITTED FOR BURGLARY, (5) RESIDED IN MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA, OR (6) WERE BLACK. ALONG WITH TESTING SCORES, THESE INDICATORS COULD BE USEFUL IN PLACING INMATES IN GENERAL OR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, INTENSIVE COUNSELING PROGRAMS, OR SPECIAL DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROGRAMS WHILE THEY ARE STILL IN INSTITUTIONS. HOW SUCCESSFULLY THE INMATES COMPLETE SUCH PROGRAMS COULD BE USED IN THE PAROLE DETERMINATION PROCESS TO INDICATE THE ANTICPATED EASE OR DIFFICULTY ON THEIR REENTRIES INTO SOCIETY. FURTHERMORE, LEVELS OF PAROLE SUPERVISION COULD BE BASED ON THE INDICATORS. TABLES AND FOOTNOTES WITH REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.