What Works in Offender Supervision - Panel at the 2009 NIJ Conference

• NCJ Number: 235766
• Author(s): Bill Bales; Steven S. Alm; Angela Hawken; Marlene Beckman
• Date Published: June 2009
• Length: 12 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation; Program/Project Description; Issue Overview; Conference Material

Annotation

This is the audio and transcript of three panel presentations on "What Works in Offender Supervision," which was part of the 2009 NIJ Conference.

Abstract

The first presenter discusses a study of electronic monitoring (EM) with Florida probationers and parolees. The presentation provides some preliminary findings from the study thus far. The issues being examined are whether EM works in preventing probation and parole violations; which types of offenders are successful under EM; whether the EM program is implemented as intended; and views of EM by supervising officers, offenders, and administrative staff. The second presenter is a judge from Hawaii who has been involved in that State's HOPE program. This program provides intensive monitoring for probationers, which includes prompt consequences for violations of conditions, drug testing, and close monitoring of progress in treatment and behaviors. The third presenter also discusses the features of the HOPE program, with attention to how it differs from a drug court. One difference is in the judge's role. In drug courts, the offenders come before the judge regularly. In HOPE, participants only come before the judge if they have violated a condition of their supervision. HOPE is also different from drug courts in terms of treatment; whereas drug courts mandate drug treatment, HOPE lets the probationer decide whether he/she wants treatment, unless drug tests show the probationer is unable to desist from drug use on their own.