NCJ Number
242409
Date Published
March 2011
Length
101 pages
Annotation
This North Carolina department of Correction (DOC) Division of Community Corrections (DCC) study examined whether the caseload goals established by the Structured Sentencing Act are still appropriate, based on the type of offenders supervised and the time required to supervise these offenders.
Abstract
This study analyzed the characteristics of offenders supervised, the distribution of the probation and parole officers' time by activity type, and caseload characteristics in comparison to practices in other States. Findings from the statewide survey suggest that probation and parole officers routinely reported caseload averages somewhat higher than their ideal caseload size; given increasing caseloads and workload, field officers reported difficulty in managing their caseloads because of the increasing size and need of officers' caseloads, shrinking resources in the community, and increasing administrative demands required of officers. Secondly, field officers appear to spend the same amount of time on the same activities independent of caseload difficulty or geographic location. For example, independent of caseload supervision level or rural versus urban status field officers spent about the same amount of time on data entry, face-to-face office visits with offenders, home visits with offenders, and waiting in court, and these are the top four activities officers spend their time on each day. Ideally, field officers with the most difficult cases (offenders who require the highest levels of supervision) should be able to spend more time in the field providing face-to-face contact with their offenders. Tables, figures, and appendixes