NCJ Number
237607
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 75 Issue: 3 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 11-18
Date Published
December 2011
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Based on a comparison of the probation histories of 5,134 offenders, this study found that both the number of probation officers (POs) a probationer had and the amount of time each PO supervised a case influenced the likelihood of its successful termination.
Abstract
The study found that probationers who were supervised by a few POs were more likely to complete probation successfully than probationers who were supervised by many officers. The data also indicate that probationers who spent the majority of their probation term with a few POs were less likely to recidivate than probationers whose time on probation was spread out over a number of officers. The impact of officer continuity was dramatic, with the chances of successful completion increasing by 58 percent for an offender with one officer during the entire term of supervision. Probationers in the study transferred from one PO to another for a variety of reasons, but the most prevalent was personnel turnover. It also resulted from probationers moving from one jurisdiction to another in the course of a probation period. Although personnel changes may sometimes be unavoidable; unnecessary change is a disruptive factor that potentially undermines much of what has otherwise been achieved. An issue that must be addressed in this regard is PO retention, which requires a review of PO salaries in relation to other expenditures that may not be as critical in promoting a reduction in recidivism. Suggestions are offered for future research. Study data were obtained from records of a community corrections agency in a large metropolitan county in Texas. The data pertained to all offenders whose probation ended in 2009. Cases that did not originate in the county were excluded. 3 tables and 46 references