Jonas is not permitted to request release because of a specific rule established in the community following a significant incident ten years prior. This rule was put into place after the failure of the previous Receiver.
The community experienced profound disruption and emotional distress when the last Receiver-in-training failed and their memories were released back into the population. To prevent a recurrence of such chaos and suffering, a stringent rule was implemented. This rule explicitly forbids the current Receiver, Jonas, from requesting release. It also dictates that the Giver cannot apply for release until Jonas has been fully trained and is prepared to bear the entire burden of the community's memories. This measure safeguards the community from the potentially overwhelming consequences of uncontrolled memories being unleashed.
