From parole to prison design, these reformers seek humane solutions

Mass incarceration in America rightfully receives a lot of attention, but a compelling new book puts its neglected siblings in the spotlight. In “Mass Supervision,” Vincent Schiraldi persuasively argues that probation and parole, together known as community supervision, have failed to achieve their twin goals of reducing incarceration and enhancing public safety.

Schiraldi, whose long résumé includes stints as commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation and director of juvenile corrections in the District of Columbia, writes lucidly and urgently about the need to reform and perhaps even abolish government-run supervision. Probation, which supervises criminal offenders in lieu of imprisoning them, and