NCJ Number
134709
Date Published
1991
Length
73 pages
Annotation
Intensive Supervision Parole (ISP), established in Dallas and Houston in 1987 to reduce parole revocations to prison, was evaluated with respect to its implementation and impact on offenders and system and costs.
Abstract
ISP provided more intensive community surveillance of parolees; ISP officers were also encouraged to use intermediate sanctions whenever appropriate when recidivism events occurred. The research used data from 221 parolees in Dallas and 458 parolees in Houston. Data collection for each offender began between August 1987 and July 1988 and continued for 1 year. Results revealed that the overall ISP results were the opposite of what was intended. ISP was not associated with fewer arrests, although ISP offenders received more contacts than offenders who were on routine supervision. ISP was also associated with increased technical violations, particularly in Houston, where the ISP model was implemented more fully. At the end of 1 year, about 30 percent of all ISP participants were in prison, compared to about 18 percent of those on routine parole. ISP supervision also cost 1.7 times the cost of routine parole. However, the ISP program did represent an appropriate intermediate punishment. Therefore, ISP has promise for jurisdictions primarily interested in providing much-needed flexibility in sentencing decisions by imposing an intermediate sanction. However, ISP programs, as currently structured to focus on surveillance rather than treatment, will not reduce recidivism and system costs. Tables, footnotes, appended further analyses and results, and 24 references (Author abstract modified)