Parole Is Inhumane Pros And Cons

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When a inmate’s parole is revoked due to a parole violation, there’s a system of due process. The revoking authority must provide the parolee with the reason why his or her parole is revoked. In 1972 the John Morrissey vs Lou Brewer case 408 U.S. 471 marked the beginning of the Supreme Court involvement in parole revocation procedures. In 1967, John Morrissey was originally sentenced to seven years in prison for forging checks. Morrissey was paroled in 1968 from the Iowa State Penitentiary. Seven months after his release on parole, Morrissey was arrested and placed in the county jail. His probation officer directed the arrest by tagging Morrissey as a parole violator. The probation officers written report prompted the Iowa Board of …show more content…

Morrissey’s probation officer stated that “Morrissey had violated his probation by buying a car without his permission. Morrissey also gave officers incorrect information after being in a car accident. Morrissey also had other violations; he obtained credit under an assumed name and failed to report his resident to his Probation Officer. In my opinion obtaining a credit card should not be a parole violation. When did buying a car become a parole violation? This man forged checks, if he paid cash for the vehicle how is that a violation? I understand if a sex offender is unable to be around children or schools, but unable to buy a car or credit card! We may have an overzealous probation officer. Could the probation officer have a personal vendetta or being a hard ass? The probation officers reasoning for the revocation of Morrissey parole was “the continual violating of his parole rules”. (FindLaw For Legal Professionals, 2017)

Parolee’s Rights Morrissey petitioned the United States District Court for the southern district of Iowa. Morrissey alleged that he was denied due process because there paroles had been revoked without a revocation hearing. What I find hard to understand is this theory from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held: “Society thus has an interest in not having parole revoked because of erroneous information or evaluation …show more content…

The fourteenth amendment states: that no state could “deprive any person of life, liberty or property, with due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection from laws. Morrissey was not privy to attorney representations, for his revocation hearing. In the Gagnon case both parties made attorney representation a necessity. I find some of these ruling quite comical. In the Morrissey case, if the preliminary hearing officer determines that the informant would be subject to risk of harm, he or she need not be made available for cross-examination. So if you are accused of a parole violation while out on parole. On parole or probation you don’t have the option to confront your accuser? It that the American way of justice? Seems to be, but this is a country that incarcerates 60 percent of minorities. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe if you commit a crime and our found guilty by a jury of your peers. You should do the crime. I also believe if you have become a model inmate and abided by the laws of the state. You should have the opportunity to have you case in front of a Parole board. If the Parole Board deems you as a candidate for parole, it is the parolee’s responsibility to abide by the rules set forth by your

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