THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF PAROLE ARE REVIEWED, AND PAROLE LEGISLATION IN PENNSYLVANIA IS DESCRIBED. ASPECTS OF PAROLE ADMINISTRATION IN PENNSYLVANIA--PREPARATION OF INMATES FOR PAROLE, SELECTION FOR PAROLE, PAROLE SUPERVISION, THE PAROLE DECISIONMAKING MECHANISM, PAROLE-RELATED FUNCTIONS OF PRIVATE AGENCIES--ARE ANALYZED, AND CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN ABOUT THE QUALITY OF PAROLE ADMINISTRATION IN THE STATE. AMONG OTHER THINGS IT IS CONCLUDED THAT PENNSYLVANIA HAS NOT EQUIPPED ITS PRISONS TO PREPARE INMATES FOR PAROLE, THAT THE LACK OF A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM RESULTS IN TOO MANY INMATES BEING RELEASED TOO EARLY, THAT PAROLE SELECTION LACKS OBJECTIVE CRITERIA, AND THAT PAROLE SUPERVISION IS THE WEAKEST ELEMENT IN THE SYSTEM. PAROLE LAWS AND PRACTICES IN OTHER STATES (PARTICULARLY IN OHIO, NEW YORK, ILLINOIS, AND MASSACHUSETTS) ARE EXAMINED, WITH A VIEW TO IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPROVING PENNSYLVANIA'S PAROLE SYSTEM. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PENNSYLVANIA RETAIN ITS EXISTING MECHANISM FOR PAROLE SELECTION (WITHIN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM, AS OPPOSED TO A SEPARATE AGENCY), CONSIDER THE APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO PAROLE SELECTION, AND CREATE A DECENTRALIZED PAROLE SERVICE SYSTEM. TABULAR DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)