NCJ Number
150742
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 22 Issue: 4 Dated: (1994) Pages: 341- 353
Date Published
1994
Length
13 pages
Annotation
In an attempt to determine how certain demographic, employment, prior criminal history, and probation sentence variables were associated with probation outcome, this study analyzed probation terminations of 266 felony adult probationers in Tennessee whose cases had been terminated between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1989, by completion or revocation of probation or by absconding.
Abstract
Probation outcome, the dependent variable, was measured as success or failure. Hypotheses predicting significant relationships between such key variables as race, sex, prior criminal history, marital status, and employment status were tested for statistical significance and strength. Chi square techniques were used to determine the statistical significance of data. Over 70 percent of probationers had been convicted of property offenses, and most had been given sentences of 5 years or less. Most completed probation and were considered probation successes, whereas a smaller percentage were considered failures due to revocation, absconding, or being sentenced for another offense. Felony rearrest was the primary reason for revocation. When probationers committed a new offense, it was usually a property offense. All predicted relationships between key variables were in the expected direction. With the except of race and age variables, all relationships were statistically significant. Sex, work status, marital status, prior felony, and conviction offense variables were the best predictors of probation outcome. 28 references, 2 notes, and 6 tables