Final answer:
Parole was not initially designed to consider mental health, but is now recognized as a crucial element in parole decisions to aid successful community reintegration and manage recidivism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of parole was not initially designed to consider mental health but is now often considered in parole decisions. Parole, a strategy used for the temporary release from prison, was primarily concerned with aspects such as the nature of the original crime.
In modern practice, mental health is increasingly recognized as a critical factor affecting an individual’s ability to successfully re-enter the community and maintain a law-abiding life post-incarceration.
Parole decisions now frequently involve mental health professionals and may be predicated on participation in counseling sessions or other therapeutic interventions.
Employing comprehensive risk assessments, including evaluating mental health, as part of the parole process, is a step toward individualized justice and reduced recidivism.
However, such assessments can introduce bias, reflecting disparities in the criminal justice system, and must be carefully implemented to avoid perpetuating such disparities.
Policies like "Ban the box" highlight efforts to reduce the impacts of incarceration on employment opportunities and address the disparate impacts of criminal justice practices.
Nonetheless, these policies have had mixed success and underscore the complex relationship between criminal histories, employment, and societal reintegration.