A Qualitative Analysis of Parole Suspensions among Women on Parole

摘要

In studying parole outcomes, researchers have pointed to the prominence of technical violations (e.g., breaches of release conditions) in contributing to high rates of custodial returns. In the current study, we contribute to a qualitative understanding of women’s returns to custody in the Canadian federal context. Drawing on casework documents, we analyse pathways to reincarceration by examining circumstances leading up to and surrounding parole suspensions. We conceptualize parole “failure” as a process ( Steen et al. 2013 ) that includes actions, reactions, and decisions on the part of parolees, parole offi cers, and case managers. Consistent with prior research, we found that parole suspensions were typically tied to non-compliance with parole conditions rather than new offending. However, events prompting suspension were seldom isolated or the first instance of violation. Preceding incidents were typically met with other types of case management response (i.e., enhanced monitoring, verbal intervention, therapeutic responses, and weighing risk against progress). Despite the important role of discretion in responses to violations, we found case management interventions to be largely oriented around managing compliance with parole conditions. We discuss the implications of condition-centric parole governance in relation to underlying principles of responsive case management.