When a felony convict is released from prison, the person is often placed on parole for some time. During parole, the person can be returned to prison by the supervising parole agent without a trial and conviction. A criminologist plans a randomized study comparing an intervention with a regular release from prison to study the effectiveness of the intervention in preventing re-incarceration. The criminologist prepares an informed consent form and plans to enroll parolees during the first meeting with the parole agent, who will introduce the study to the parolee. This procedure is appropriate because:
A)parolees are adults and are free to participate or not.
B)there are no risks to the parolee, only potential benefits.
C)the parole agent has the best interest of the parolee in mind and will advise accordingly.
D)None of the answer options is correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The procedure is not appropriate because the parolees might feel coerced into participating due to the power dynamics between them and the parole agent, potentially compromising their ability to give truly informed and voluntary consent.

When a Felony Convict Is Released from Prison, the Person