NCJ Number
77710
Date Published
1977
Length
134 pages
Annotation
Findings and recommendations are reported from a cost-effectiveness analysis of 13 field demonstration parole supervision projects and 2 ongoing parole supervision projects in California.
Abstract
Projects were divided into the categories of regular parole supervision, prerelease institution projects, summary parole, service focus (provided by the parole and community services division of the State corrections department and private organizations), control focus, and restructured case management. The study is guided by the 'matched services/controls' approach, which specifies that accurate judgments can be reached only by weighing a full array of criminality and community adjustment measures that are observed when the appropriate services and controls are provided to each offender according to needs and problems experienced throughout the supervision period. Twenty-one community adjustment measures were constructed, and 10 criminality measures were used. The per person total annual cost of supervision was calculated for each project. The cost elements were agent time required for supervising adult offenders, additional resources used for services or controls, and adjustment factor balancing varying proportions of felon and nonfelon participants in specific projects. It is suggested that each adult offender be assigned or reassigned to one of the following supervision modes: (1) enhanced services consisting of one or more supportive services, (2) service emphasis with a degree of special controls consisting of one or more specialized services and intermittent safeguards, (3) increased controls with a degree of services consisting of more than one safeguard and limited specialized services, and (4) high-level control consisting of more than one specialized safeguard. After the initial adjustment period, adult offenders successfully adjusting to community life would be reviewed for placement on a conditional summary parole status. Since the situations of adult offenders may change throughout the parole period, a systematic review of appropriate placement and type of services and controls would be undertaken. Ways of organizing for the aforementioned approach are described. Appended are data collection instruments and supplementary data; tabular data are provided.