Allen J. Beck, Ph.D., Timothy A. Hughes, Doris J. James Wilson

October 3, 2001    NCJ 184735

Examines the changing nature of offenders entering and leaving parole and the effects on the trends and composition of the prison population. The report compares discretionary and mandatory releases to parole with the type of discharge from parole supervision. Data are presented on the success and failure rates of offenders on parole by criminal history, sentence length, time served in prison, and offense distribution. The report also profiles specific characteristics and needs of offenders reentering the community, including drug and alcohol use history, homelessness, and mental health status.

Highlights include the following:

• After more than a decade of rapid growth, the number of adults under State parole supervision has nearly stabilized -- increasing by 33,510 (0.7% per year) since 1992.
• Since 1990 mandatory parole releases have increased while discretionary releases have decreased.
• 42% of parole discharges in 1999 successfully completed supervision.

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