Last Updated on November 5, 2023 by ellen
Frontline Life on Parole is now on DVD. Way back in high school, I wanted to work in the prison system as a psychologist. I eventually realized that I didn’t have the right personality type for that career. But, I have always been fascinated with prisons. 
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Frontline Life on Parole
Around half of all the inmates put on parole in the US end up violating the terms of their release and are sent back to prison. But across the country, states are trying to change the way their parole systems work. This is in an effort to lower recidivism rates and reduce prison populations.
In Life on Parole, Frontline and The New York Times go inside one state, Connecticut, to examine its ongoing effort to rethink parole: a condition that offers a taste of freedom but comes with strict prohibitions on whom you can live with, where you can go, what time you have to be home, and more.
With unique access inside Connecticut’s corrections system, as well as camera-phone footage filmed by the parolees themselves, the film follows four former prisoners as they navigate the challenges of more than a year on parole – from finding work to staying sober to parenting – and doing it all while under intense supervision from the state.
More than two years in the making, Life on Parole is a remarkable firsthand look at why some people stay out of jail, why some go back, and how one state is trying to break the cycle of recidivism.
My thoughts:
This documentary was absolutely fascinating to me. I loved being able to see inside the prison system and learn how inmates were handling the different challenges of being on parole and reintegrating back into society.
I thought the film was very well done as are all of the Frontline documentaries I’ve watched in the past. If you find this topic interesting or would simply like to understand life from someone else’s viewpoint, I recommend you watch it today.
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Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.