The Hearing is Just a Formality: You’re Never Getting Out

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how individuals incarcerated who were denied parole navigated the parole process and their subsequent denial for release. This study used in-depth qualitative interviews with 66 men and women who were currently incarcerated and denied parole. The results illustrated how their experiences with the parole process affected their perceptions of fairness and legitimacy. The degree of fairness and legitimacy were also interconnected with how they internally processed the decision as well as how they perceived their prospects for release. Implications are that if individuals perceive the parole hearings as not legitimate, they may be less willing to participate in the process and instead chose to max out their time.