Parole and Revocation: Perspectives of Young Adult Offenders

This article presents the findings of an exploratory study of parole release and parole failure as seen through the eyes of inmates who have been returned to prison following parole revocation. The small sample of revoked inmates was limited to parolees of a young adult offender (YAO) program. The YAO program was designed for young men who were (a) under the age of 18 at the time of conviction, (b) waived to the adult system, and (c) sentenced to a term of imprisonment in an adult prison. This research project used qualitative interviews to explore perceptions about parole supervision and revocation. The men described their experiences and thoughts about parole from the perspective of parole failure. The authors believe the insights of the men can inform discussions about reentry and efforts to enhance parole services for recently released inmates.