The “get tough on crime” movement has resulted in a 119% increase in prisoners who “max-out.” Max-out means the prisoner serves his or her entire prison term. According to Max Out by the Pew...

The “get tough on crime” movement has resulted in a 119% increase in prisoners who “max-out.” Max-out means the prisoner serves his or her entire prison term. According to Max Out by the Pew Charitable Trusts, prisoners who max-out are released unconditionally. They return to their communities without any legal conditions imposed on them, are not monitored by parole or probation officers, and do not receive assistance, counseling, or program help from probation and parole. Max-out was the intent of “get tough on crime” laws and policies passed during the 1980s and 1990s. People wanted prisoners to serve long terms and not to be released early on parole. However, data indicate that this philosophy has failed to promote public safety. In fact, it has done just the opposite. According to Max Out by the Pew Charitable Trusts research, it is “beginning to show that inmates released to parole supervision are more likely to have better public safety outcomes than those who max out” (p. 7). Research data show that inmates released on parole or probation supervision were 36% less likely to return to prison for new crimes than inmates who max out. Should states and the federal government return to the use of parole?