There is some concern in the criminal justice arena about the safety of releasing prisoners into society after serving long prison terms. Recidivism, for one thing, frightens many police officers and attorneys, because it is likely that violent offenders will re-offend once placed back in society. However, it is unethical to keep prisoners beyond their prison terms, so how are they released from prison to avoid recidivism?
In the movies, the cameraman often pans around the prison walls, showing the maximum-security measures taken to keep prisoners locked up where they belong. Then the camera zooms in on a pair of chain-link gates, which part like the red sea, and a prisoner walks out in street clothes with nothing but his wallet and a pack of cigarettes. Someone’s waiting for him on the outside, and they drive off into the sunset. Of course, this isn’t really how it works.
It is considered safest for prisoners to be released from prison in graduated stages, rather than all at once. For one thing, it is often difficult for prisoners to reacquaint themselves with freedom, and there have even been cases of recidivism where the parolee simply wanted to be locked up again because he couldn’t handle society. The stages of release, therefore, are in place for the benefit of both society and the prisoner.
First, a parolee is often moved to a lower-security prison than the one in which he has served most of his time. This is to test the waters before release, to see how he behaves when his every move isn’t monitored by prison guards. The length of time in this facility depends on the offense for which he was first incarcerated, as well as his overall behavior during his term.
At these facilities, inmates may be eligible for work-release and other privileges that simulate society, which is meant to prepare them for re-integration. If the prisoner doesn’t behave himself, he may be shipped back to the original facility to serve out his prison term, or to wait for his next opportunity for parole.
If he successfully completes the “trial run” at the lower-security prison, he may be released to a halfway house, which is a residential facility run by corrections officers. Inmates” are technically being reintegrated back into society, but they have curfews, regular drug tests, and their rooms can be searched without a warrant. At this time, the prisoner is assigned a parole officer, who will be responsible for making sure he stays on-track.
While staying at the halfway house, a prisoner can have a job, see his friends, visit his family, and generally lead a normal life. However, he is required to return to the halfway house at a certain time each night, and cannot leave until a certain time the following morning. If he behaves himself, he may be given weekend “passes” during which he can stay with friends or relatives, but this is only after he’s proven himself to be trustworthy.
As you can see, extreme caution is taken for releasing prisoners back into society, and this procedure is designed to make the transition from prison to the “real world” as smooth as possible. The exact schedule of release will depend on the estimated risk of recidivism and the type of offense committed.
