Question

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAILS AND PRISONS AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ? HOW DO PAROLE AND PROBATION DIFFER AND WHAT ARE DETERMINING FACTORS IN DECIDING WHICH A PERSON SHOULD RECIEVE ? WHAT ROLE DOES A HUMAN SERVICE PROFESSIONAL HAVE THAT IS RELATED TO THESE ELEMENTS ?

Answer 1

A prison is a facility designed to house people convicted of felonies for lengthy periods of time, while a jail is authorized to hold pretrial detainees and offenders who have committed misdemeanors. Jail funding is often the lowest priority for the tight budgets of local governments, leading to severe overcrowding and other dismal conditions. Many observers see this negligence as having far-reaching consequences for criminal justice. Jail is often the first contact that citizens have with the corrections system. It is at this point that treatment and counseling have the best chance to deter future criminal behavior.

Probation and Parole.

• Probation is an alternative to corrections whereas Parole is the conditional release that is granted after an offender served time in prison.
• Probation is a a sentence in which the offender, rather than being incarcerated, is retained in the community under the supervision of a probation agency and required to abide by certain rules and conditions to avoid incarceration. Parole is a method of prison release whereby inmates are released at the discretion of a board or other authority before having completed their entire sentences.
• Parole rules and conditions are commonly stricter as compared to Probation.
• Officers tend to be less tolerant of violations committed by parolees as compared to Probation.
• Parolees often face greater adjustment problems.

Factors affecting Parole Decision

Institutional misconduct

It is essential in deciding whether or not someone is granted early release.Poor conduct almost single handedly guarantees denial.Violent institutional misconduct weighs more than other decisions. Involvement with programming helps in early release.

Crimes leading to incarceration

What someone did to land in prison initially matters though the degree to which it matter is questionable.Crimes that are more egregious (violent) are more likely to be denied.Drug and burglary convictions are more likely to receive parole when compared to those incarcerated for assault, robbery, or sexual assault.

Mental health status
Those with mental illness are less likely to be granted parole.Women with mental illnesses are less likely to receive parole when compared to men with mental illnesses.

Victim opposition
Victim participation has been shown to play a role in whether one is or not granted parole. It is  connected with the Victims' Rights Movement in the 1960s.The more the victim is involved, the more likely a denial of parole with emerge.

Factors affecting Probation.

• Severity of offense
• Seriousness of the prior criminal history
• Sentencing guidelines
• Age of defendant
• Rehabilitation potential
• Defendants relationship with family
• Attitude of the community toward offender/offense
• Remorse shown by offender.

Role of Human Service Professional.

Human Service Professional can play an important role in this case. He can take following steps.

• Evaluate offenders to determine the best course of treatment.
• Provide offenders with resources to aid in rehabilitation.
• Discuss treatment options with offenders.
• Arrange treatment programs.
• Supervise offenders and monitor their progress.
• Conduct meetings with offenders as well as their family and friends.
• Write reports on the progress of offenders.
• Investgate offender's history for the court.