Right on Crime signatories applaud findings of report “Max Out: The Rise in Prison Inmates Released Without Supervision”



Austin, TX — Responding to a new national report showing high rates of prison inmates being released without supervision, Right on Crime signatories today called for policies that ensure offenders receive post-prison supervision and support.

The report, by The Pew Charitable Trusts, finds that an increased number of inmates are “maxing out,” meaning that they are serving the entirety of their sentences behind bars and returning to their communities with no supervision by parole officers or other authorities, thus  presenting a higher risk of committing new criminal offenses. In contrast, the report provides evidence from studies in two states that shows offenders who served sentences that concluded with a period of post-prison supervision were 36 percent (New Jersey) and 30 percent (Kentucky) less likely to return to prison for a new crime than offenders who maxed out their sentences behind bars.

Additionally, polling commissioned by Pew showed strong bipartisan support for shorter prison sentences that transition into a period of supervision.

The following statements were issued by Right on Crime signatories in support of the findings and recommendations of the Max Out report:

“Consideration of cost-effective alternatives to incarceration that have lower rates of recidivism and keep the public equally safe is something that I strongly support, and apparently, so do many other Americans.”

— Ken Cuccinelli, Former Attorney General of Virginia

“This polling data shows popular support for reforms that reduce crime and the tax burden through reducing excessively long prison sentences and increasing post-incarceration supervision through parole or probation.  It is encouraging to see sound policy in criminal justice reform also recognized as good politics.”

— Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform


“Max Out affirms what many believe about corrections.  Longer sentences with limited opportunities for parole have dramatically increased costs while decreasing the prospect of successful rehabilitation.”

— Jim Petro, Former Attorney General of Ohio

“Keeping tabs on offenders in the difficult first weeks of transition from prison to the community makes sense. The probation officer has the opportunity to make sure the offender stays on the straight and narrow, and when combined with education, job training, mentors, anger management, and other preparation for release, will make our communities safer.”

— Pat Nolan, Director of the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform

“This groundbreaking report demonstrates that states can enhance public safety by moving away from policies that result in the release of inmates without any supervision. We continue our work to address this issue in Texas and other states and are confident this report will greatly aid these efforts.”

— Marc Levin, Policy Director of Right on Crime

Click here to view the full report.