One Parole Officer Answers Fifteen Questions Directly

That’s what you get in this feature from the Marshall Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering our criminal justice system. Some of the answers may surprise you, and to think, all they had to do was ask. Which questions would you ask?

1. What is your average daily caseload?
2. What is the hardest thing a parolee faces when reentering society?
3. On average, do you believe that people are on parole for too long, the right amount of time, or not enough time?
4. What is the best part of your job?
5. What is the worst part?
6. What is a common misconception that people have about what you do?
7. How often do you think parolees are lying to you?
8. Does parole make a difference?
9. Do you think most parole conditions are too strict, appropriate, or not strict enough?
10. What is the most important rule that parolees have to follow?
11. What is the most ridiculous rule that parolees have to follow?
12. Is there a specific parolee you often think about?
13. If you had the power to do one thing to improve public safety, what would it be?
14. How do you feel about new parole technology, like GPS monitoring?
15. If you weren’t a parole officer, what do you think you’d be doing for a living?