Joseph M. Bessette

In the following viewpoint, Joseph M. Bessette argues that parole and probation have not succeeded as alternatives to imprisonment. He claims that courts and parole boards are too lenient toward offenders, allowing even those who commit violent crimes such as rape and murder to serve fractions of their sentences. Such “lax criminal codes” have frequently allowed violent repeat offenders to be released into society. If parole boards and the criminal justice system continue to be too lenient, Bessette insists, these alternatives to imprisonment should be restricted or abolished. Bessette is a government and ethics professor at Claremont McKenna College.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does the author support his claim that offenders serve out fractions of their sentences"
2. According to Bessette, why is the prison system not...