Abstract/Details

Restorative and Retributive Rhetoric in Louisiana’s Parole Hearings

Owens-Murphy, Katie.   International Institute for Restorative Practices ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,  2025. 32118511.

Abstract (summary)

This mixed-method study analyzes the questions that parole board members ask candidates during parole hearings in Louisiana, the only state that has made parole hearings publicly available through YouTube due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. In particular, I examine the tension between retributive and restorative rhetoric during this questioning, exploring whether candidate demographics influence certain rhetoric types and whether they correlate with parole outcomes. Using a sample of 96 hearings, I identified the types and proportions of rhetoric in each hearing and analyzed their relationships with candidate and hearing descriptive characteristics using one-way ANOVA, chi-square, and t-test analyses. I then interviewed eight formerly incarcerated people who underwent parole hearings in Louisiana during the same time frame and used grounded coding to understand their phenomenological experiences of the parole board's questioning. I conclude by triangulating the quantitative and qualitative results to identify why current parole practices are more closely tied to performances of state power and control than to repair or public safety. I also identify potential opportunities for restorative justice interventions during the parole process.

Indexing (details)


Subject
Criminology;
Law;
Public policy
Classification
0627: Criminology
0398: Law
0630: Public policy
Identifier / keyword
Parole; Restorative justice; Retributive justice; Rhetoric
Title
Restorative and Retributive Rhetoric in Louisiana’s Parole Hearings
Author
Owens-Murphy, Katie
Number of pages
67
Publication year
2025
Degree date
2025
School code
2912
Source
MAI 86/12(E), Masters Abstracts International
ISBN
9798286446179
Advisor
Abrams, Gina
Committee member
Chamblee, Nikki; Lancaster, Robert
University/institution
International Institute for Restorative Practices
Department
IIRP Graduate School
University location
United States -- Pennsylvania, US
Degree
M.S.
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number
32118511
ProQuest document ID
3225605427
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/docview/3225605427