ABSTRACT
Two criminological phenomena that are worthy of further empirical exploration include the process of back-end sentencing and the practice of parole-eligible individuals voluntarily opting out of early release and community supervision in favor of remaining in prison to complete their sentences. We situate these calls for future research within this chapter by describing what these phenomena entail, and briefly present a circumscribed review of the major empirical works that have contributed to our collective understanding about each of these aspects of the reentry and corrections systems. We communicate why we generally contend that these areas are important avenues for future research and conclude each section by highlighting particular research areas within back-end sentencing and opting out of parole that are in need of additional attention.
