NCJ Number
30712
Date Published
1973
Length
110 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF THIS PROJECT WHICH HIRED ADDITIONAL PROBATION PERSONNEL IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE PROBATION AND PAROLE CASE LOADS, ENCOURAGE USE OF PROBATION INSTEAD OF INCARCERATION, AND EXPAND USE OF PRESENTENCE REPORTS.
Abstract
THIS REPORT PRESENTS A REVIEW OF GRANT REQUIREMENTS AND AN EVALUATION OF GRANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE AREAS OF PROBATION AND PAROLE PERSONNEL, OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS, CASELOAD FIGURES, PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLEMENTATION, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED FOR THE HIRING AND TRAINING OF TWENTY ADDITIONAL PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERS AS WELL AS EIGHT PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICER AIDES IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE EXISTING CASELOAD TO 90 UNITS PER OFFICER. IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS INCREASED PERSONNEL WOULD ENABLE THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, DIVISION OF PROBATION AND PAROLE, TO CONDUCT PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS IN A MINIMUM OF 25 PERCENT OF ALL REPORTED FELONY OFFENSES. ADDITIONALLY, THE USE OF PROBATION AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION WAS TO BE ENCOURAGED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PROGRAM DID NOT SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECT THE CASELOAD PER OFFICER PARTIALLY BECAUSE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD THE RATE OR GROWTH OF THE STATE CASELOAD EXCEEDED THE RATE OF INCREASE IN MANPOWER. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT OFFICERS WHO TERMINATED EMPLOYMENT WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY REPLACED. WHILE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE TOTAL CASELOAD WAS HEAVILY CONCENTRATED IN THE URBAN AREAS OF THE STATE, THE MEDIAN OFFICER CASELOAD SIZE PER MONTH IN FOUR OF THE FIVE DISTRICT OFFICES DURING THE SUBGRANT PERIOD WAS BETWEEN 100 AND 120 CASES. ANALYSIS OF SUPERVISORY ACTIVITIES REVEALED THAT, DURING THE SUBGRANT PERIOD, THE MEAN NUMBER OF REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS WHICH WERE COMPLETED PER MONTH EXCEEDED THE MEAN NUMBER OF CASES UNDER SUPERVISION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. THE DISTRICT I PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICE EVIDENCED BOTH A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THE STAFF EMPLOYED AND A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETED THAN ITS PERCENTAGE SHARE OF THE TOTAL STATE CASELOAD. TOTAL NUMBERS OF PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE DIVISION OF PROBATION AND PAROLE DECLINED DURING THE SUBBRANT PERIOD. THE EFFECT OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS COULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY EVALUATED PENDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEASIBLE MEANS TO DETERMINE THE DISPOSITION OF CASES IN WHICH INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONDUCTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)