Dangerous Men:

What happens when a prison inmate gets out on parole? What factors determine who stays out of prison—and whose paroles get revoked? In this classic participant-observer study of the parole bureaucracy, Richard McCleary focuses on the interactions between parole officers and parolees; between parole officers and parolees; between parole officers and their colleagues (and superiors); and on the organization of work in a parole agency. His findings—and their implications for all actors in this vital segment of the criminal justice system—are as relevant today as they were when the study was first conducted in 1978.