Under systems of mandatory release, both prisoners who are ready and those who are not are released when their time is up. Under discretionary systems, inmates must prove that they are ready to be released. One of the factors that a releasing authority might consider is program participation and rehabilitation. When inmates are no longer required to appear before a parole board or other authority that will decide their release date, some incentive for program participation, which has been shown to improve in-prison behavior and to reduce the likelihood of recidivism after release, is lost. ^[1]   Studies have also found that individuals released to parole through the discretion of a releasing authority are more likely to successfully complete their parole term without being returned to prison than are those who are released through a mandatory system, even after taking into account type of offense committed and prior record. ^[2]