I thought this video was quiet interesting because we actually got to see how parole officer’s deal with their clients and how they try to send them to the right programs plus keeping them out of trouble. I never really thought if someone were to be on parole it was like a slap on the wrist but what I saw it really isn’t. People who are on parole for substance abuse it will be hard to get off the stuff because they are having more and more with draws of the drugs because they are using to doing it all day. Parole officers have to give tough love, and be strict and lay down the rules with their clients. The one fact that caught my attention where it stated that 1.5 million are incarcerated but on half of that are on parole now I think that since then that other half might be on parole or still sitting in a cell in prison. Maybe the other half are still incarcerated because they might know once they are back on the streets they will just go do the same crime again. A lot of these people that are on parole may or may not have some mental health issues because they may have been abused or neglected. I’m glad these officers are trying to help these people get off the crimes that they are committing because if they keep getting released then nobody will be safe. Maybe half of those incarcerated people get supervised parole to where they cannot be doing anything illegal. Over all this video was amazing. DaBulls456
What you said about a parole officer having to be strict and lay down the law I think was spot on. They can not just let their clients just walk all over them, or else America would be a lot less safe of a place. I admire parole officers so much because they dedicate their lives to working with people who are coming out of prison, some of whom are bad people who have done terrible things, and they try to show them right from wrong and help them get acclimated to the world outside of prison. They build relationships with the people they work with and they put so much faith into them, it is amazing what they have the opportunity to do. It can not be an easy job but there is good that comes out of it. Piglet456
I too thought parole was a slap on the wrist. I was sadly mistaken. It is a chance for a parolee to get help and have another chance at a normal life. They made a mistake or was growing up taught about the crimes they were doing g. Sometimes it is just the environment you are in. They can go to programs that their parole officer think they need and get help. These people just need help not to be locked up and punished. Extreme456
I really enjoyed this clip. By normal people going into work not knowing what to expect from their parolee's. By watching this I saw that you have to be humble, smart, and patient. Dealing with people that just have got out the system can put a toll on you. For one they are trying to break their old habits while they on the outside battling life. It can be frustrating dealing with people that knows the system better than you. That is constantly trying to get over you just because they know they can but the tactics you can use on them stops everything because you control if they can be free or not. I sometimes put myself in other people shoes just to test myself and I believe I can be a great parole officer if I chose to go that route. I bet its hard dealing with mental health problems or sex offenders or maybe murders. Just to sit next to someone that have killed or rape someone can be challenging. Another thing I saw is you can not have internet if you are on parole. I know that is something very hard to go through. I use google for everything I'll keep going back. Most kids now and days cant even read a paper map but don't get wrong for the people that incarcerated are trying to get there life back on track so they will follow the rules. I love watching clips like this one. Seeing if someone will choose the right path or not. BikeLife456
I agree with you. I also seen where that they don't want to hear any sympathy. I also seen that if you were to be a sex offender when on parole their life will be nothing but rules and rules. It just comes to show how people can be on parole and en up in jail the next second. DaBulls456
I really like what you said in your post about about the parole officer needing to be humble, smart, and patient. The reality is, no two cases are the same and they shouldn’t be treated like they are. Each parole is going to have different sets of problems they are faced with. Like you said dealing with all those issues, and having to pick out which clients want to change and which ones are just playing the system can have a toll on a person. Like you said, I think it would be a challenge just to be in the same room as some of these people let alone try to give them advice and help them change, that is why I really respect parole officers and what they try to do for their clients. Piglet456
I agree. You have to have a certain type of personality to work with these type of people. Not everyone can be patient enough and have a backbone all while being sympathetic to the parolees. It is hard to find these people in the world. They have to understand the right technique to get through the parolee’s heads to stop doing whatever they did to end up on parole. The officers have to understand that the parolees cannot just change overnight and that it takes time for them to readjust to life without doing the crime they are used to. Extreme456
I agree. I dont like how sexual predators are treated with parole. They are faced with so much restriction, that it is hard for them to be rehabilitated back into society. Its labeling theory. Sexual predators are forever seen as predators and face harsh restrictions. This wont help much in fixing them. Being isolated from the problem (kids) wont fix it. Society involves kids, and being back into society being properly fixed, will involve kids. They should focus on better programs, that may involved supervised work with kids. But completely isolating the person from everything, will serve no purpose. Music 456
I agree with what you said about the internet, I use it for almost everything and it would be a challenge to go without it. Giving someone advice and showing that you care then they go and break the rules can really get to some people because the lack of respect. I do not know what this music guy is talking about, I like that sex offender having more restrictions because if they do touch a child that will look bad for the patrol agent. bamboo456
I agree that you have to possess a lot of great qualities to be a good parole officer in order to be able to have to try to help these people. I too use google for everything and couldn’t imagine not being able to look everything up. The video also said that drug addicts usually relapse, which would be a tough thing to have to take into consideration because you want what’s best for them and you know they’re trying, but addictions are really hard to kick. Blues456
This video was very informative, not only about the different types of parole officers there are, and what the challenges they face in their life of , but it also touches of the struggles the paroles have as they re-enter the world. I didn’t really realise it until watching this video, but being afraid of going back to jail or prison isn’t always enough to prevent people from breaking the agreements of their parole and falling back into the same habits they had formed that landed in prison in the first place. If a client wants rehabilitation they have to wasn't it and do it for themselves. A parole officer is there to provide options to their clients and in some cases force them to go, but those programs will do nothing for a person if they don’t want to change. Like in the case of Maggie Hardley. When the video starts she had only been on parole for a few weeks and had already started using again. After tough love from her parole officer and the threat of being sent back to prison, Maggie finally started taking her parole seriously. At the end of the video she was almost a completely new person. She had completely stopped using, and it was so visible the pride she felt for having attained from realising she could be clean, have a job, and support herself. While being a parole officer is hard work, successes like Maggies are what make this difficult job worth it. Another thing I didn’t realise until watching this video was the fact that there are different types of parole officers for different offences. The hardest, in my opinion, is paroling sex offenders. The parole officer lives in constant worry because they do not want to see an innocent person get sexually violated by one of their clients. That being said, they have to be very strict with their clients. Any violation of their parole will most likely set them sent back to prison because the risk of having such a dangerous person out there is to high.. There are also a lot the parole officers have to look for. Sex offenders can not live within a certain range of schools and parks where children are present, they have to stay in their approved addresses every night, and registered sex offenders are not allowed internet access. These strict rules are why sex offenders get sent back to prison at a higher rate than any other offenders. This video gives a real life account of the good and the bad of being a parole officer. I never realized what a big part these people play in the Criminal Justice system. Piglet456
I agree with you. They can say they are going to programs that they are given and next thing they can get caught doing something that they are not suppose to be doing in a hot minute. With the sex offenders rules will always be more of a high set of rules because like you said they want the public to be safe. DaBulls456
Parole Diaries is a great show that lets the viewers see what parolees and parole officers do and what they go through. In the episode we watched there were three different parolees. One was on parole for sex offending, another one for abuse of drugs, and the third one for selling prescription drugs. The show showed us that it is hard to change our ways when all you know is one specific way. The sex offender had restrictions and in the show it told us. He could not have internet access, which I think is great because then he would not be as tempted to do something to break parole rules. He could not be within one hundred yards of any school or playground or any other kid sanction building. The drug addict needed tough love together mind set on the right path. She could not go back to her boyfriend and husband for they were stressing her out and leading her to do these drugs. I am proud that we have programs like these people to help them. They should not be immediately sent to jail. They need a role model and another chance at redemption. Not all parole officers are the same. This show demonstrated the different types of parole officers and the techniques they use to help the parolees. Some needed a harsh parole officer and some needed a strict but understanding one as well. I can clearly see through this show that results do get made by these programs. That is all we can ask for. I can also tell that a parole officer’s job is not easy. You have to have a backbone to deal with these type of people but also have understanding of how hard it is to change a person. I am glad we got to watch this video. Extreme456
Parole is something that I think is very essential to the rehabilitation of criminals, and to reduce recidivist rates as much as possible. Parole serves as a broker, back to society. It gives an offender the chance to prove that he or she has changed, and can once again function in society. I believe that parole should always be offered, even with murder cases, of course having a few exceptions. Everyone even murderers, at some point should see a chance to prove themselves in society again. The video we watched in class showed how parole actually works in the real world. Too me I see a few things. First, the parole system seems very complicated. You have a parole officer who oversees a person, and tracks almost their every move. The officers have to constantly questions things such as whereabouts and things that they have been doing, all while wondering if the truth is being told. Cases such as sexual predators, are even more complicated, with things like device restrictions and location restrictions being handed out. This brings me to my worries about the sexual predator and his parole. The guy in the video couldn't have internet and had to live in certain areas. Basically the guy was in prison, but could live at his own residence. The guy ended up violating every term of his parole and was sent back to jail. Throughout the video the guy is treated as if he was still assaulting kids. While there needs to be restriction like housing placement, it shouldnt be to the extent of how his officer was treating him. There is a thing called "labeling theory" where someone becomes or stays deviant, based on how others define them. This man needs the chance to prove him self in society again. He needs to be taught and go through rigorous training, in order to be rehabilitated. But when he is met with all these restrictions and labeling, it is going to be very hard for him to get back on the right track. I also think that once a violation happens, they should push harder to rehabilitate the person. Like we saw with that black women and her drug problems. She kept offending and offending but the officer still gave her a chance. I think if we would have given the sexual predator a chance, that eventually he would come through, with the right treatment. But they just slapped this guy with a talk group, and harsh restrictions on everything. I know it sounds weird, but I think he should have to be in treatment involving being around kids!! Being isolated from the problem, will make it even harder to fix. Being apart of society again will mean being around kids, it just will! The parole system needs to take a look at some things. The system needs to be more observably vigilant, in rehabilitating people back into society. I know that there is programs etc etc that people are recommended to, and that work, but are they the right programs? However I do think that if another particular crime was committed then jail time should be put to the table. But if non criminal terms of parole are violated, I think there should only be a harder push for rehabilitation. Music 456
People do not always get another chance to make something right, or to change themselves. When you are on parole you have that second chance to correct the mistakes you have made, to prove to society that you have changed. Some people, just do not know how to change and they get stuck in the same predicament they were once in and that is going back to jail. In the video, you got to see how the parole agents worked and they type of people they had to work with. I admired Dennis Jackson on how she never gave up on Maggie Hardley when at first she kept lying to her about using drugs, and going to see her husband and boyfriend. She gave her more than once chance to change, or she would go back to prison. It just nice to see someone is not giving up when the times are tough and she saw that she did have the potential to change if she was in the right environment. On the other hand, the sex offender, who was on parole for his second time, still did not learn his lesson and went back to prison after staying at an apartment, and not his shelter for the whole weekend. It is good to know that the patrol agents care for the people they assist because sometimes that’s all someone needs in order to change. Overall, the video was informative and it show what patrol agents have to deal with on a daily basis. bamboo456
I agree that it is nice to see someone change. I think this video did a good job of showing both sides of the coin, in that Maggie changed and Thomas didn’t. It would take a lot of character to have to look at these people who are getting a second chance to prove themselves and see them not doing it, but it would really be something to be proud of if they did. Blues456
This was a very eye opening video into how parole works. There are a lot of people incarcerated in the United States (over 1.5 million at the time of this episode), and options like parole and probation attempt to keep these numbers down while helping offenders stay out of trouble. I admired the patience the officer showed with Maggie. Specifically, after she tested positive for three different drugs and left her first halfway home before the first month was up. It worked out in the end though because Maggie ended up turning her life around and was clean by the end of the episode and had not been in contact with the men who instigated her problems. A lot of people would have given up on Maggie, but this officer saw that she had some mental health problems and knew that jail wasn’t the right place for her. A lot of people in jail have mental health problems, as we learned in our prison visit, and it’s important that we recognize these problems and try to help these people before they end up in jail or prison. I admire all parole officers quite a bit because they’re tasked with helping these people get back into society and live a normal life. It would be hard not to lose my cool because these people are getting a second chance and it seems like some of them take it for granted. I would have been the most upset at Thomas after finding out he had internet access twice and was carrying pornography into the meeting with the officer. Overall, this video not only showed me how parole works, but it also showed me how many of these people in prison had mental disorders, because all of the parolees in this had at least one. Blues456
I thought this video was quiet interesting because we actually got to see how parole officer’s deal with their clients and how they try to send them to the right programs plus keeping them out of trouble. I never really thought if someone were to be on parole it was like a slap on the wrist but what I saw it really isn’t. People who are on parole for substance abuse it will be hard to get off the stuff because they are having more and more with draws of the drugs because they are using to doing it all day. Parole officers have to give tough love, and be strict and lay down the rules with their clients. The one fact that caught my attention where it stated that 1.5 million are incarcerated but on half of that are on parole now I think that since then that other half might be on parole or still sitting in a cell in prison. Maybe the other half are still incarcerated because they might know once they are back on the streets they will just go do the same crime again. A lot of these people that are on parole may or may not have some mental health issues because they may have been abused or neglected. I’m glad these officers are trying to help these people get off the crimes that they are committing because if they keep getting released then nobody will be safe. Maybe half of those incarcerated people get supervised parole to where they cannot be doing anything illegal. Over all this video was amazing. DaBulls456
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about a parole officer having to be strict and lay down the law I think was spot on. They can not just let their clients just walk all over them, or else America would be a lot less safe of a place. I admire parole officers so much because they dedicate their lives to working with people who are coming out of prison, some of whom are bad people who have done terrible things, and they try to show them right from wrong and help them get acclimated to the world outside of prison. They build relationships with the people they work with and they put so much faith into them, it is amazing what they have the opportunity to do. It can not be an easy job but there is good that comes out of it. Piglet456
DeleteI too thought parole was a slap on the wrist. I was sadly mistaken. It is a chance for a parolee to get help and have another chance at a normal life. They made a mistake or was growing up taught about the crimes they were doing g. Sometimes it is just the environment you are in. They can go to programs that their parole officer think they need and get help. These people just need help not to be locked up and punished.
DeleteExtreme456
I really enjoyed this clip. By normal people going into work not knowing what to expect from their parolee's. By watching this I saw that you have to be humble, smart, and patient. Dealing with people that just have got out the system can put a toll on you. For one they are trying to break their old habits while they on the outside battling life. It can be frustrating dealing with people that knows the system better than you. That is constantly trying to get over you just because they know they can but the tactics you can use on them stops everything because you control if they can be free or not. I sometimes put myself in other people shoes just to test myself and I believe I can be a great parole officer if I chose to go that route. I bet its hard dealing with mental health problems or sex offenders or maybe murders. Just to sit next to someone that have killed or rape someone can be challenging. Another thing I saw is you can not have internet if you are on parole. I know that is something very hard to go through. I use google for everything I'll keep going back. Most kids now and days cant even read a paper map but don't get wrong for the people that incarcerated are trying to get there life back on track so they will follow the rules. I love watching clips like this one. Seeing if someone will choose the right path or not.
ReplyDeleteBikeLife456
I agree with you. I also seen where that they don't want to hear any sympathy. I also seen that if you were to be a sex offender when on parole their life will be nothing but rules and rules. It just comes to show how people can be on parole and en up in jail the next second. DaBulls456
DeleteI really like what you said in your post about about the parole officer needing to be humble, smart, and patient. The reality is, no two cases are the same and they shouldn’t be treated like they are. Each parole is going to have different sets of problems they are faced with. Like you said dealing with all those issues, and having to pick out which clients want to change and which ones are just playing the system can have a toll on a person. Like you said, I think it would be a challenge just to be in the same room as some of these people let alone try to give them advice and help them change, that is why I really respect parole officers and what they try to do for their clients. Piglet456
DeleteI agree. You have to have a certain type of personality to work with these type of people. Not everyone can be patient enough and have a backbone all while being sympathetic to the parolees. It is hard to find these people in the world. They have to understand the right technique to get through the parolee’s heads to stop doing whatever they did to end up on parole. The officers have to understand that the parolees cannot just change overnight and that it takes time for them to readjust to life without doing the crime they are used to.
DeleteExtreme456
I agree. I dont like how sexual predators are treated with parole. They are faced with so much restriction, that it is hard for them to be rehabilitated back into society. Its labeling theory. Sexual predators are forever seen as predators and face harsh restrictions. This wont help much in fixing them. Being isolated from the problem (kids) wont fix it. Society involves kids, and being back into society being properly fixed, will involve kids. They should focus on better programs, that may involved supervised work with kids. But completely isolating the person from everything, will serve no purpose.
DeleteMusic 456
I agree with what you said about the internet, I use it for almost everything and it would be a challenge to go without it. Giving someone advice and showing that you care then they go and break the rules can really get to some people because the lack of respect. I do not know what this music guy is talking about, I like that sex offender having more restrictions because if they do touch a child that will look bad for the patrol agent.
Deletebamboo456
I agree that you have to possess a lot of great qualities to be a good parole officer in order to be able to have to try to help these people. I too use google for everything and couldn’t imagine not being able to look everything up. The video also said that drug addicts usually relapse, which would be a tough thing to have to take into consideration because you want what’s best for them and you know they’re trying, but addictions are really hard to kick.
DeleteBlues456
This video was very informative, not only about the different types of parole officers there are, and what the challenges they face in their life of , but it also touches of the struggles the paroles have as they re-enter the world. I didn’t really realise it until watching this video, but being afraid of going back to jail or prison isn’t always enough to prevent people from breaking the agreements of their parole and falling back into the same habits they had formed that landed in prison in the first place. If a client wants rehabilitation they have to wasn't it and do it for themselves. A parole officer is there to provide options to their clients and in some cases force them to go, but those programs will do nothing for a person if they don’t want to change. Like in the case of Maggie Hardley. When the video starts she had only been on parole for a few weeks and had already started using again. After tough love from her parole officer and the threat of being sent back to prison, Maggie finally started taking her parole seriously. At the end of the video she was almost a completely new person. She had completely stopped using, and it was so visible the pride she felt for having attained from realising she could be clean, have a job, and support herself. While being a parole officer is hard work, successes like Maggies are what make this difficult job worth it. Another thing I didn’t realise until watching this video was the fact that there are different types of parole officers for different offences. The hardest, in my opinion, is paroling sex offenders. The parole officer lives in constant worry because they do not want to see an innocent person get sexually violated by one of their clients. That being said, they have to be very strict with their clients. Any violation of their parole will most likely set them sent back to prison because the risk of having such a dangerous person out there is to high.. There are also a lot the parole officers have to look for. Sex offenders can not live within a certain range of schools and parks where children are present, they have to stay in their approved addresses every night, and registered sex offenders are not allowed internet access. These strict rules are why sex offenders get sent back to prison at a higher rate than any other offenders. This video gives a real life account of the good and the bad of being a parole officer. I never realized what a big part these people play in the Criminal Justice system. Piglet456
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. They can say they are going to programs that they are given and next thing they can get caught doing something that they are not suppose to be doing in a hot minute. With the sex offenders rules will always be more of a high set of rules because like you said they want the public to be safe. DaBulls456
DeleteParole Diaries is a great show that lets the viewers see what parolees and parole officers do and what they go through. In the episode we watched there were three different parolees. One was on parole for sex offending, another one for abuse of drugs, and the third one for selling prescription drugs. The show showed us that it is hard to change our ways when all you know is one specific way. The sex offender had restrictions and in the show it told us. He could not have internet access, which I think is great because then he would not be as tempted to do something to break parole rules. He could not be within one hundred yards of any school or playground or any other kid sanction building. The drug addict needed tough love together mind set on the right path. She could not go back to her boyfriend and husband for they were stressing her out and leading her to do these drugs. I am proud that we have programs like these people to help them. They should not be immediately sent to jail. They need a role model and another chance at redemption. Not all parole officers are the same. This show demonstrated the different types of parole officers and the techniques they use to help the parolees. Some needed a harsh parole officer and some needed a strict but understanding one as well. I can clearly see through this show that results do get made by these programs. That is all we can ask for. I can also tell that a parole officer’s job is not easy. You have to have a backbone to deal with these type of people but also have understanding of how hard it is to change a person. I am glad we got to watch this video.
ReplyDeleteExtreme456
Parole is something that I think is very essential to the rehabilitation of criminals, and to reduce recidivist rates as much as possible. Parole serves as a broker, back to society. It gives an offender the chance to prove that he or she has changed, and can once again function in society. I believe that parole should always be offered, even with murder cases, of course having a few exceptions. Everyone even murderers, at some point should see a chance to prove themselves in society again. The video we watched in class showed how parole actually works in the real world. Too me I see a few things. First, the parole system seems very complicated. You have a parole officer who oversees a person, and tracks almost their every move. The officers have to constantly questions things such as whereabouts and things that they have been doing, all while wondering if the truth is being told. Cases such as sexual predators, are even more complicated, with things like device restrictions and location restrictions being handed out. This brings me to my worries about the sexual predator and his parole. The guy in the video couldn't have internet and had to live in certain areas. Basically the guy was in prison, but could live at his own residence. The guy ended up violating every term of his parole and was sent back to jail. Throughout the video the guy is treated as if he was still assaulting kids. While there needs to be restriction like housing placement, it shouldnt be to the extent of how his officer was treating him. There is a thing called "labeling theory" where someone becomes or stays deviant, based on how others define them. This man needs the chance to prove him self in society again. He needs to be taught and go through rigorous training, in order to be rehabilitated. But when he is met with all these restrictions and labeling, it is going to be very hard for him to get back on the right track. I also think that once a violation happens, they should push harder to rehabilitate the person. Like we saw with that black women and her drug problems. She kept offending and offending but the officer still gave her a chance. I think if we would have given the sexual predator a chance, that eventually he would come through, with the right treatment. But they just slapped this guy with a talk group, and harsh restrictions on everything. I know it sounds weird, but I think he should have to be in treatment involving being around kids!! Being isolated from the problem, will make it even harder to fix. Being apart of society again will mean being around kids, it just will! The parole system needs to take a look at some things. The system needs to be more observably vigilant, in rehabilitating people back into society. I know that there is programs etc etc that people are recommended to, and that work, but are they the right programs? However I do think that if another particular crime was committed then jail time should be put to the table. But if non criminal terms of parole are violated, I think there should only be a harder push for rehabilitation.
ReplyDeleteMusic 456
People do not always get another chance to make something right, or to change themselves. When you are on parole you have that second chance to correct the mistakes you have made, to prove to society that you have changed. Some people, just do not know how to change and they get stuck in the same predicament they were once in and that is going back to jail. In the video, you got to see how the parole agents worked and they type of people they had to work with. I admired Dennis Jackson on how she never gave up on Maggie Hardley when at first she kept lying to her about using drugs, and going to see her husband and boyfriend. She gave her more than once chance to change, or she would go back to prison. It just nice to see someone is not giving up when the times are tough and she saw that she did have the potential to change if she was in the right environment. On the other hand, the sex offender, who was on parole for his second time, still did not learn his lesson and went back to prison after staying at an apartment, and not his shelter for the whole weekend. It is good to know that the patrol agents care for the people they assist because sometimes that’s all someone needs in order to change. Overall, the video was informative and it show what patrol agents have to deal with on a daily basis.
ReplyDeletebamboo456
I agree that it is nice to see someone change. I think this video did a good job of showing both sides of the coin, in that Maggie changed and Thomas didn’t. It would take a lot of character to have to look at these people who are getting a second chance to prove themselves and see them not doing it, but it would really be something to be proud of if they did.
DeleteBlues456
This was a very eye opening video into how parole works. There are a lot of people incarcerated in the United States (over 1.5 million at the time of this episode), and options like parole and probation attempt to keep these numbers down while helping offenders stay out of trouble. I admired the patience the officer showed with Maggie. Specifically, after she tested positive for three different drugs and left her first halfway home before the first month was up. It worked out in the end though because Maggie ended up turning her life around and was clean by the end of the episode and had not been in contact with the men who instigated her problems. A lot of people would have given up on Maggie, but this officer saw that she had some mental health problems and knew that jail wasn’t the right place for her. A lot of people in jail have mental health problems, as we learned in our prison visit, and it’s important that we recognize these problems and try to help these people before they end up in jail or prison. I admire all parole officers quite a bit because they’re tasked with helping these people get back into society and live a normal life. It would be hard not to lose my cool because these people are getting a second chance and it seems like some of them take it for granted. I would have been the most upset at Thomas after finding out he had internet access twice and was carrying pornography into the meeting with the officer. Overall, this video not only showed me how parole works, but it also showed me how many of these people in prison had mental disorders, because all of the parolees in this had at least one.
ReplyDeleteBlues456