Prison Place

“Accelerated Release: A Literature Review” by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency is our site of the day
The National Council on Crime and Delinquency has released a report earlier this month, “Accelerated Release: A Literature Review” that couldn't be more timely, given the proposal by Governor Schwarzenegger to reduce California’s prison population to help deal with our state’s budget deficit crisis and also as an attempt to stave off Federal Court mandated releases and caps.
This 9 page study looked at peer reviewed articles, dissertations, state reports, policy reports, and national data on accelerated prisoner release programs and their impacts on public safety from 1981 to 2004. Included in this review is a 1970 experimental study in California of inmates released 6 months before their expected release date.
The findings in the 1970 California study: “A reduction of six months in prison terms has no statistically significant effect upon recidivism on parole within the first two years following release.” The study group members did not differ from those in the comparison in their likelihood of returning to prison, whether by a court conviction, for a new felony, or as a result of a parole violation short of a new conviction.”
This is in accord with findings from other states and Canada reported in this report.
There also is an important listing of what has worked in other accelerated releases that California policy makers should pay close attention to:
• Selecting nonviolent versus violent offenders for accelerated release.
• Using accelerated release as an incentive for nonviolent behavior in prison.
• Allocating probation officers to maintain contact with accelerated release groups, thereby promoting accountability.
• Linking accelerated release groups to community based services and programs concerned with housing, employment, substance abuse treatment, and mental health care.
Posted on January 14, 2008
 
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/01/accelerated_rel.html