Parole can be defined as the provisional release of an inmate after serving part of his or her prison sentence. In the United States, parole was originally used near the end of the American Civil War, when the United States was talking about releasing people currently in captivity if they had verbally promised, accompanied by a written contract, not to return to the enemy base. continue to participate in the war effort. In 19th century England, parole was known to be called “transportation, which involved sending the offender to live in exile” (Whitehead, 101). Nowadays in the United States, parole is used in many states and almost 853,900 people were currently on parole at the end of 2011 (United States). There are many conditions that must be followed during parole and if these rules are not followed, the parolee will be sent back to prison to complete the prison sentence that was initially given to them during their first sentence. Another way parole can benefit the criminal justice system is that it allows prisons to budget money by keeping fewer non-dangerous offenders in prison and providing space for offenders the most violent and dangerous in the prison. Parole should not be abolished because it gives non-violent offenders a second chance to live in the community while providing many financial benefits to society. There are specific rules and restrictions that a parolee must agree to and follow in order to be eligible for parole. . The decision of whether an inmate is eligible for parole is a decision made by a parole board which is part of the Ministry of Corrections, making the parole system all...... middle of paper ......help from their parole officer and also the community. Parolees are allowed to live in their community with strict restrictions so that they are less likely to commit a crime. Overall, parole has many positive benefits and if it were to be abolished, I believe it would cause more harm, both financially and physically, due to the stress it would cause in prisons. Works cited by Martinez. Abolition of parole for offenders sentenced to prison for violent offenses: impact analysis. np: 1995. Criminal Justice Summaries. Internet. October 8, 2014. United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Office of Justice Programs. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). By Erika. Np, November 29, 2012. Web. October 2, 2014. United States. Department of Corrections. Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Frequently Asked Questions About DOC. Np, August 2012. Web. October 8. 2014.