Nation IN BRIEF : NATIONWIDE : Parole Rise Tied to Prison Space Crisis

The number of convicts released on parole rose 12.1% in 1989 and reflected a similar growth in the number of people entering prison, the Justice Department said in Washington, D.C. The increase, to 456,797 parolees by the end of last year, along with a 5.6% rise in the number of offenders put on probation, stemmed from continued growth of the prison population, penal experts say. Many states parole convicts to ease crowded conditions in their prisons, particularly since courts have set limits on prison capacity. Georgia led the nation with a 54.2% increase in paroles.