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AS AMERICAN CRIMINAL justice policies and practices became more punitive in the 1970s, parole board discretion was simultaneously limited or eliminated (Caplan, 2006). Much of the empirical research on parole release decisions during this time was conducted in an effort to create objective, actuarial models and guidelines for determining releases from prison (Carroll, Weiner, Coates, Galegher, & Alibrio, 1982; Cullen & Gilbert, 1982; Gottfredson 8c Wilkins, 1978; Krajick, 1978; Von Hirsch & Hanrahan, 1979; Walker, 1993). These models were supposed to be immune from subjective or indiscriminate feelings towards inmates by parole board members.

However, a detailed review of the empirical literature on parole release decision-making suggests that despite guidelines, parole release decisions remained irregularly applied and were primarily a function of institutional behavior, crime severity, criminal …