NCJ Number
209688
Journal
Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 121-131
Date Published
February 2005
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined the frequency of offending during probation orders, the extent of probationer officer knowledge of this offending, and the relationship between self-reported offending and subsequent reconviction among offenders in England and Wales.
Abstract
The assessment of the effectiveness of probation supervision has been largely based on officially recorded re-offending data. While official data on reconviction rates among ex-prisoners are reliable, there have been calls to supplement these official data with other outcome measures in order to provide a more complete assessment of probation supervision effectiveness. Participants in the current study were 141 probationers who were located within official datasets. Participants provided self-report data on re-offending through personal interviews that utilized detailed follow-up questioning. Results indicated that 57 percent of probationers reported offending behavior during their probation period and roughly one-third of probationers reported committing more than four offenses during their probation period. Other findings indicated probation officers were largely aware of the illegal activities of their probationers and that self-report descriptions of re-offending behavior generally matched official recorded reconvictions. Future research should focus on verifying these findings with larger probationer samples. Tables, references, appendix