Contextual Analysis of The Documentary “Life on Parole”
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Introduction
In the United States, there are millions of people who serve on parole. The life stories are often ignored. Jeff Arak’s new documentary helps to love this problem. The documentary “Life on Parole” helps you to provide a solution to the lives of Parolees by investigating and carrying out research in Connecticut Correction Center. The program follows the lives of four Parolees as they are released from prison to start their lives in society. The documentary examines the challenges that Parolees face along with conflicts and misunderstanding with their Parole officers. “Life on Parole” was a cooperative project between the New York Times and the Frontline that focuses on various facets of life after incarceration from addiction to parenting incarceration. The documentary aims at testing the parole: a condition that proffers a relish of freedom but also comes with stern restrictions on the lives of the Parolees. These prohibitions include; whom they can live with, where they go and time they are supposed to be back to their apartment. It is a hectic and frustrating process for the Parolees that brings mixed reactions among them. This paper aims to analyze the lives of the Parolees and, in the end, give a thoughtful recommendation of parole.
Summary
Hundreds of people are put in parole with the main purpose of reducing congestion in correction centers. The documentary aims at giving insights into the lives of these Parolees once they are outside the prison. In order to achieve this, the film focuses on the lives of four prisoners who are soon to be released from parole. Connecticut prison provides access to their system, and also the Parolees filmed themselves to make this project successful. The following are the Parolees on the test.
Jessica Proctor
Jessica spent almost ten years in prison for assaulting a girl with physical injury. But in 2018, she was released on Parole years. Jessica joins a certified nurse assistant training course. At the same time, she also tries to reconnect with her son, who barely remembers her life. It was indeed difficult for her. The Parole rules were stringent, and she has to abide by all of them to get back her life. On one-point, Jessica complains, saying that people tend to think that parole means freedom when the truth is, it is not actually freedom. However, Jessica struggles, and she was able to graduate in her program with a 94 percent score.
Rob Sullivan
Rob is also among the four parolees. He is grappling with alcohol addiction. Rob was repeatedly in and out of prison since 1992. He was charged with assault and drug possession. Rob has a daughter, and he wasn’t in her life while she free. This matter haunts him. After the parole release, rob meets a lot of challenges in the outside world. At one point, he argues, “it’s cheaper to buy a beer some nights for two bucks and forget all my problems.” Rob has been out several times but says that the harsh life after prison forces him to commit another crime. Also, he says that sometimes he just commits a crime just to get back to jail because that is better for him. Rob says that the cycle being of being in and out of prison makes it very hard for him to find a job, and this will make it impossible for him to pay child support. Life eventually gets complicated for him, and he decides to go back to jail and complete his sentence.
Errol Brantley
Errol was a heroin addict who had cycled in and out if the correction center since 1999. He was charged with several crimes such as larceny, drug possession, and burglary. Errol was released on parole for the first time, and he was restricted from a lot of things, including hanging out with his girlfriend, who the law considers an earlier victim because she severally called the police for his behavior. However, Errol starts breaking parole rules the moment he steps out of prison. He decides to stay with his girlfriend despite the warning. He also goes back to using drugs and then rehabilitates himself without permission from his parole officer was a lenient guy and decided not to turn him but rather curs him off completely from his girlfriend. “I understand that parole officers have to do what they have to do, but I was happy I was home…I just wanted to stay close to people I love,” he protests.
Vaughn Gresham
Gresham was arrested when he was sixteen and sent to prison when he was eighteen. He was released on seven years parole. Gresham was frustrated by prohibitions and restrictions. He was not allowed to hang out with his friends. He was also rude to his parole officers. At one instance, his parole officer takes his phone, and this is against the parole rules. She then decides to send him back to prison.
Sociological and criminological concepts
The sociological and criminological issues dealt with in the film are crime, drug use, criminal justice, American prisons, and many more. Parole was introduced in order to make the condition better and reduce the population in prisons. Mark Lawlo, who is the pioneer of these changes in Connecticut, says that it is usual for those on parole to be sent back to prison once they are out. He says most of them come because not because of committing new crimes but rather because of violating their parole roles. He and the parole officers believe they are supporting prisoners to try and change on their own. All four individuals are frustrated with the restrictions surrounding their lives and parole violations. Rob complains that just going to the gas station to buy coffee is against the rules and could send him back to jail. Such restrictions raise questions on what parole is to achieve. The purpose of the program is to prepare these individuals to be fully back in a society, which means giving them a little more freedom on some occasions.
There is also the issue of drugs. All four Parolees were at one point caught with drugs while on the parole, including Jessica. Graham went back to prison because he was caught partying with his friends. Errol is a heroin addict. Although he tried to change, he still couldn’t overcome the addiction entirely and found his way back to prison. Graham complains that his teenage life was taught, which made him engage in a robbery at a young age. After they are released from the parole, they find it very hard to get back to their society. This forces most of them to engage in crimes, and the cycle continues. Also, in the beginning, all of them did not see their lives were still the same because they were not allowed to interact with their loved ones. Eroll’s life gets complicated because he was not allowed to spend time with his girlfriend.
Manifest and Latent Codes in the Film
The over aching issues in the movie are crimes, struggles, and parole. Connecticut prison is widely practicing parole in order to reduce the prison population. There were two black American Parolees and two white Parolees. The four parolees shred almost the same crimes. The three men were charged with burglary and assault. Moreover, they were all also charged with possession of drugs. Errol has a habit of using heroin. He was sent back to prison because of using this drug. Rob and Gresham are both alcohol addicts. Rob says that he takes alcohol to forget his humorous problems. Furthermore, we can also see the struggles that parolees encounter. They are monitored every day, prohibited from a lot. Also, it is very difficult for them to find jobs in their criminal history. Rob complains that with his criminal record, it will be impossible for him to support his little girl even though he really wants to. On the other hand, we can see the good side of parole when one at least tries to abide by all the rules it changed. Jessica was able to transform under pressure from difficult circumstances.
After carefully analyzing the film, it can be concluded that the government tries to improve prison conditions and, at the same time, helps the offenders get reintegrated into society. However, the parolees do not see anything different between the parole program and lock up. Some of them even opt to get back to prison over parole. Rob willingly goes back to prison to complete his sentence. He makes a statement that sometimes he commits a crime just to get back to prison. Nearly all of the parolees commented that there is no freedom in parole. However, Jessica proves that’s parole can yield positive results in the long run as long as one doesn’t give up easily and abide by all the rules. Moreover, most of the offenders were charged with almost similar crimes; for instance, drug possession, assaults, and burglary. This is an indication that most of these are due to poverty and depression.
Conclusion
In summation, it’s evident that parolees find it very difficult to cope in society while under constant surveillance. Moreover, they could hardly get employed because of their criminal stories, and when they do, they get poorly paid. However, with hard work, discipline, and focus, it is possible to make it through the parole period without going back to prison, as proven by Jessica. Also, some of these individuals are prohibited from hanging out from their loved ones. Children of incarcerated parents are more likely to experience childhood trauma.