The Catch-22 in Israel's Parole Law
Criminal Justice and Behavior, Volume 41, pp 1422-1436 (2014).
28 Pages Posted: 18 Nov 2014 Last revised: 28 Sep 2017
Date Written: November 17, 2014
Abstract
This article reviews the general legal framework governing risk assessment of prisoners in the Israeli parole process. It highlights the excessive power the Israeli courts have accorded to the professional body responsible for providing risk assessments, which severely limits the parole board’s discretion to order conditional release when prisoners persist in denying their crimes. Such prisoners, especially sex offenders, tend to be precluded from participation in treatment courses, thus substantially reducing their prospects of obtaining parole.
Keywords: parole, conditional release, sex offenders, crime denial, risk assessment, feminism, fair trial, legal fairness, Israeli law
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