NON-INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT - A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE SUNDSVALL (SWEDEN) EXPERIMENT

• NCJ Number: 46014
• Author(s): E KUHLHORN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 59 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council for Crime Prevention
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; National Council for Crime Prevention
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden
• Note: INTERNATIONAL SERIES - REPORT 1 ABRIDGED ENGLISH VERSION OF THE SWEDISH REPORT KRIMINALVARD I FRIHET - EN PRELIMINAR UTVARDERING AV ETT FORSOK I SUNDSVALL

Annotation

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS MADE OF AN INTENSIVE PROGRAM FOR PROBATIONERS AND PAROLEES STARTED IN THE SUNDSVALL PROBATION OFFICER'S DISTRICT (SWEDEN) IN 1972; TO DATE THE PROGRAM HAS HAD FAIR RESULTS BUT NEEDS REVISION.

Abstract

ON JULY 1, 1972, AN EXPERIMENT INVOLVING INTENSIFIED TREATMENT OF PROBATIONERS WAS STARTED IN SUNDSVALL. PRIOR TO THE EXPERIMENT, NONINSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT IN THE DISTRICT COST APPROXIMATELY 288,000 SWEDISH KRONEN (SKR) PER ANNUM. PROBATION OFFICERS AND OFFICE STAFF WERE INCREASED TO REDUCE THE CASELOAD, A HOTEL WAS LEASED FOR HOUSING UNTIL PERMANENT HOUSING ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE, AND A HALFWAY HOUSE WAS SET UP. THE HALFWAY HOUSE WAS FUNDED BY THE CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT, BUT THE OTHER INCREASES RAISED THE ANNUAL COST TO SKR 955,000. CASELOADS WERE DECREASED FROM 100 TO 30 CLIENTS. IN ADDITION, SELECTED CLIENTS WERE RELEASED TO THE SUPERVISION OF FRIENDS OR OTHERS WITH WHOM THEY HAD HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BEFORE CONVICTION; THIS SUPERVISION WAS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE PROBATION STAFF. CLIENTS WERE DIVIDED INTO MINIMUM, MODERATE, AND INTENSIVE SUPERVISION GROUPS, DEPENDING UPON CIRCUMSTANCES. RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT HAVE BEEN MIXED. RECIDIVISM RATES SHOW THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 4-6 MONTH PRISON SENTENCE AND PROBATION. IN FACT, FOR FIRST-TIME OFFENDERS AND THOSE WHO CAN BE HELPED BY EMPLOYMENT AND COUNSELING, PROBATION OFFERS AS GOOD A RESULT AT LESS COST AND IS MORE HUMANE. IN SWEDEN, ONLY 10 PERCENT OF CRIMES ARE SO SERIOUS THAT A PRISON SENTENCE CANNOT BE AVOIDED. HOWEVER, AN 'EMPTY THE PRISONS' POLICY MEANS THE NONINSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT CHAIN MUST BE LENGTHENED. SINCE INMATES OF PRISONS SCARCELY DIFFER FROM PROBATIONERS AND PAROLEES REGARDING RISK OF RECIDIVISM AND PREVIOUS CRIMINAL TENDENCIES, COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS ARE A VIABLE TREATMENT STRATEGY. HOWEVER, THE DETAILS OF SUPERVISION, METHODS OF SUPERVISION, AND AMOUNT OF CONTACT WITH SUPERVISOR ARE MATTERS WHICH NEED FURTHER STUDY. IN THIS EXPERIMENT, DIFFERENCES IN KIND AND AMOUNT OF SUPERVISION MADE LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN OUTCOME. WITH THE SUBJECT OFFENDERS, INTENSIVE SUPERVISION ACHIEVED AS GOOD A RESULT AS THE HALFWAY HOUSE. SINCE THIS ALTERNATIVE IS LESS COSTLY, IT IS RECOMMENDED OVER THE HALFWAY HOUSE. (GLR)