How much control does parole supervision provide?
There are degrees of supervision in the community just as there are in prison. Studies have shown that certain low-risk non-violent offenders actually perform better with moderate, rather than maximum, supervision. Others require much more structure and control. At the highest end of supervision is maximum supervision with electronic monitoring which is used in two ways: punitively, for parolees who are not complying fully with technical conditions of their parole and who need 24-hour monitoring to see if revocation is in order; and preventively, for offenders straight out of prison who could benefit by a more gradual transition into the community.
