Prison Release Discretion and Prison Population Size

With a focus on the length of prison sentences and their contribution to America's high rate of incarceration, the Robina Institute's Prison Release: Degrees of Indeterminacy Project shines a light on the oft-ignored role that back-end decision-makers - like parole boards and prison officials – play in determining actual time served. Cross-state differences in legal frameworks for prison release decisions reflect differing capacities to reduce and increase prison populations. An empirical examination of how these system design features affect time served provides policymakers with potential tools to manage prison population size. 

This presentation features a panel of researchers and practitioners who will review the lessons emerging from the Prison Release: Degrees of Indeterminacy Project and its potential for system-wide effects. Panelists include:

• Kevin R. Reitz - James Annenberg La Vea Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School
• Jennifer Shaffer - Executive Officer, California Board of Parole Hearings
• Julia Laskorunsky - Research Scholar, Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, University of Minnesota Law School
• Kristen Hilkey - Chair, Colorado State Board of Parole
• Moderation by Kelly Lyn Mitchell - Executive Director, Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, University of Minnesota Law School

Free and open to the public. Registration required.