04/08/2026
When parole boards focus on static factors, on minor slipups, and on the “optics” of granting parole in certain cases, discretionary parole systems fail to realize their potential as tools for decarceration, according to a Prison Policy Initiative report.
“Parole in Perspective: How parole decisions are made” is part two of PPI’s reporting on discretionary parole systems in California and 34 other states. The study found that in spite of steady repopulation of prisons post-pandemic, the overall number of parole grants declined from 2019 to 2024. The authors cite the factors above, in part, to explain the decline.
In parole hearings, static elements like criminal history, victim and law enforcement opposition, and the nature or severity of crimes of conviction, all over which the parole applicant has no control, often trump his or her transformation and readiness to return to society, said the report.
🔗 Read more: https://sanquentinnews.com/study-finds-static-case-factors-outweigh-persons-transformation/
✍️ Charles Crowe
📸 Courtesy of
