Parole has undergone significant changes over the past generation. Far fewer prisoners are released by parole boards. Far more released prisoners are supervised after they leave prison. The number of parole revocations has increased dramatically. Yet these national trends mask substantial variations at the state level. Some states have abolished parole boards. Some have increased, others have decreased, the use of parole supervision. In some states, parole violators constitute more than one half of their prison admissions. These profound shifts at the national and state level raise basic questions about the role of parole in American sentencing policy. [View corresponding press release]