PROBATION & Community COrrections

Explain the justifications for community-based corrections programs.

Reintegration - preparing offenders to return to the community unmarred by further criminal behavior.

Diversion - diverting those who qualify away from prison and jail and toward community-based intermediate sanctions.

The Low-Cost Alternative - the high cost of incarceration is a strong motivator for some to support community-based corrections.

When an offender has been sentenced to remain in the community under the supervision of probation services for a designated period of time, and is subject to certain conditions imposed by the court.

The most common form of punishment in the United States.

Sentencing choices and probation

◦Suspended sentence

◦Split sentence

◦Shock incarceration

◦Intermittent incarceration

Specify the conditions under which an offender is most likely to be denied probation.

Offenders are most likely to be denied probation if they:

Are convicted on multiple charges

Were on probation or parole at the time of arrest

Have two or more prior convictions

Are addicted to narcotics

Seriously injured the victim of the crime

Used a weapon in the commission of the crime

Conditions of Probation

◦ Principles of Probation

◦ Types of Conditions

Describe the three general categories of conditions placed on a probationer.

Conditions of probation: Standard conditions

◦ Imposed on all probationers

Punitive conditions◦ Designed to reflect the seriousness of the

offense and increase punishment

Treatment conditions◦ Designed to help the offender with issues that

may contribute to criminal activity

The Supervisory Role of the Probation Officer

◦ The Use of Authority

◦ The Caseload Dilemma

Explain the three stages of probation revocation.

Revocation of Probation

◦ Revocation Trends

◦ The Revocation Process

Preliminary Hearing

Revocation Hearing

Revocation Sentencing

List five sentencing options for a judge besides imprisonment and probation.

Intermediate Sanctions:

Fines

Community service

Restitution

Forfeiture

Pretrial diversion programs

Contrast day reporting centers with intensive supervision probation.

Day Reporting Centers: Community based corrections center where offenders report daily for purposes of treatment, education, and incapacitation.

Intensive Probation Supervision: A more restrictive alternative to regular probation. Typified by more supervision and smaller caseloads.

Shock Incarceration: Judges sentence an individual to a period of time in an institution, many of which resemble an army boot camp.

Home Confinement and Electronic Monitoring: Offenders are required to spend extended periods of time confined to their homes, sometimes administered in conjunction with electronic monitoring.

List the three levels of home monitoring.

Levels of Home Monitoring:

Curfew

Home detention

Home incarceration

Net Widening:

As more and more alternatives to incarceration are used, the criminal justice system can expand the number of people that come under its supervision.

The Paradox:

The more effectively offenders are controlled, the more likely they are to be caught violating the terms of their conditional release.