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                                    Resources
                                    Resources By Area of Practice
                                    Topics In Corrections
                                    Probation and Parole

      

                    
          
    Probation and Parole
Probation is a prison sentence that is suspended on the condition that the offender follow certain prescribed rules and commit no further crimes. Today, probation is a federal, state, and local activity administered by more than 2,000 separate agencies, with nearly 4 million adult offenders under supervision. (Seiter 2014)

Parole, both a procedure by which a board administratively releases inmates from prison as well as a provision for post-release supervision, comes from the French word *parol*, referring to "word," as in giving one's word of honor or promise.

The research highlighted on this page covers a range of probation and parole related, corrections topics from supervision and sanctions to special offenders and electronic monitoring. Additional resources on Evidence-Based Practices used in probation can be found here: Evidence-Based Practices.

    Resource Links
          Hot Topic: How can I get information on Incentives and Sanctions / Contingency Management?
          Hot Topic: What information is available on adult and juvenile probation caseload size?
          Hot Topic: Do you have descriptions of justice-involved mentoring programs?
                   NIC Resources
          Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, Members, and Executive Staff
          Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities
          The Future of Parole as a Key Partner in Assuring Public Safety
          Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results
          Special Challenges Facing Parole
          Analysis of the Use of the Structured Decision-Making Framework in Three States
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Pretrial Release and Probation: What is the Same and What is Different?

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          Dosage Probation: A Prescription Based on Two Pilot Sites' Experiences

Topic Categories and Resources
The following grey bars are accordions that can be expanded to show a list of "top-shelf" resources that have been hand-picked by our library team around this topic. If you would like additional research assistance on this topic, please contact our help desk. They have access to specialized databases and thousands of resources you won't find online. Click on a grey box below to browse resources in that section.
            
      Accordion    Parole
      
      Special Challenges Facing Parole

            
      
This guide is designed to “lay out the context, summarize the key issues, highlight the recent research, and provide suggestions about where to find more extensive and detailed resources” about special populations parole boards may have contact with (p. xiii). Seven chapters are contained in this
              The Future of Parole as a Key Partner in Assuring Public Safety

            
      
“This paper provides suggestions and examples about how these key decisionmaking functions of parole [which offenders participate in which programs, when, and for how long] can be shaped to target resources effectively according to the principles of risk, need, and responsivity” (p. viii). Sections
              Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results

            
      
Individuals involved in making sure their parole agency’s goals are being met need to read this paper. It provides guidance for a paroling authority in “defining its vision and mission, assembling information and resources to accomplish its goals, and putting into place appropriate management and
              Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It “examines information emerging from research on evidence-based practice and decisionmaking in parole and the implications of these findings for paroling authorities” (p. viii). Five chapters comprise this document
              Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, Members, and Executive Staff

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It will introduce them to the core competencies they need to have to effectively execute their public responsibilities. Chapters cover: the broad context of parole work-parole’s function, purpose, and role in the criminal
              Comprehensive Framework for Paroling Authorities in an Era of Evidence-Based Practice

            
      
A “framework that identifies the characteristics and competencies that paroling authorities must have to be effective in implementing evidence-based practices in the context of transition programs and services” is presented (p.8). These sections follow an executive summary: introduction; the impact
  
      Kansas Prisoner Review Board: Parole and Post-Release Supervision and Revocation Technical Assistance Report (2018)
              Parole Caseloads Longer, More Violent, More Challenging Since 2005 (2017)
              Accordion    Parole Board
      
      Analysis of the Use of the Structured Decision-Making Framework in Three States

            
      
"In recent years, interest in high-quality parole decision-making has grown significantly. Paroling authorities are under considerable pressure and subject to substantial public scrutiny as they strive to reach high-quality parole decisions that ensure public safety. In this context, the Legal
              Civil Liabilities and Other Legal Issues for Probation/Parole Officers and Supervisors: 4th Edition

            
      
The legal liabilities that probation and parole officers face as they perform their duties are explained. Chapters comprising this publication are: an overview of state and federal legal liabilities; civil liability under state law-state tort cases; civil liability under federal law-Section 1983
              Special Challenges Facing Parole

            
      
This guide is designed to “lay out the context, summarize the key issues, highlight the recent research, and provide suggestions about where to find more extensive and detailed resources” about special populations parole boards may have contact with (p. xiii). Seven chapters are contained in this
              Paroling Authorities’ Strategic Planning and Management for Results

            
      
Individuals involved in making sure their parole agency’s goals are being met need to read this paper. It provides guidance for a paroling authority in “defining its vision and mission, assembling information and resources to accomplish its goals, and putting into place appropriate management and
              Evidence-Based Policy, Practice, and Decisionmaking: Implications for Paroling Authorities

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It “examines information emerging from research on evidence-based practice and decisionmaking in parole and the implications of these findings for paroling authorities” (p. viii). Five chapters comprise this document
              Core Competencies: A Resource for Parole Board Chairs, Members, and Executive Staff

            
      
New parole board members and parole executives should read this publication. It will introduce them to the core competencies they need to have to effectively execute their public responsibilities. Chapters cover: the broad context of parole work-parole’s function, purpose, and role in the criminal
              Accordion    Caseloads
      
      Implementing Specialized Caseloads to Reduce Recidivism for People with Co-Occurring Disorders (2021)
              Doing Less Time: Some States Cut Back on Probation (2017)
              Colorado Community Parole Officer Time and Workload Assessment Study (2014)
              Division of Adult Corrections Community Corrections Legislative Report on Probation and Parole Caseloads (2012)
              Factors to Consider for Optimal Span of Control in Community Supervision Evidence-Based Practice Environments (2012)
              A Multi-Site Evaluation of Reduced Probation Caseload Size in an Evidence-Based Practice Setting (2011)
              OYA Juvenile Parole Probation Officer Staffing Analysis Project (2011)
              Alabama Juvenile Probation Officer Weighted Workload Assessment Study (2010)
              Juvenile Delinquency Probation Caseload (2009)
              Caseload Standards for Probation and Parole (2006)
              Accordion    General
      
      Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research for Probation Officers and Administrators

            
      
Accession Number
              031219

            "This booklet looks at the recent research on intimate partner violence and analyzes what it reveals that probation officers and administrators should know to do their jobs better in terms of completing PSI [presentence investigative report] for defendants convicted of intimate partner violence
              A Review of Probation Home Visits: What Do We Know?

            
      
"Although home visits are seen as a critical tool employed by probation officers, recent evidence demonstrates that home visits are rarely conducted, even for high-risk offenders who might benefit from them the most ... Because there are costs (such as probation officer time and safety risks)
              Promising Victim Related Practices in Probation and Parole: Training Curriculum [and] Participant Manual [Lesson Plans and Participants' Manual]

            
      
“The goal of this training program is to provide community corrections officers with information on strategies they can use to enhance their interactions with and services to crime victims. By the conclusion of this training participants will be able to:describe the impacts and implications of
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              $0.00

Profiting from Probation: America's “Offender-Funded” Probation Industry

            
      
The issue of “offender-funded” probation services is an under-reported and often unknown element of the criminal justice system in the United States. This report is essential reading for anyone interested in the current state of corrections. “Every year US courts sentence several hundred thousand

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              Changing Probation Officer Attitudes: Training Experience, Motivation, and Knowledge

            
      
The impact of evidence-based training on the level of probation officers’ (POs) knowledge of “what works” in effective interventions and also on the POs’ attitudes about providing better service are examined. This study shows that “the training had an immediate effect on several indicators regarding
              Promising Victim Related Practices in Probation and Parole Fact Sheet Series

            
      
Access to eight fact sheets “on topics related to crime victims and victims’ needs throughout the community corrections process” is provided. Topics covered are: The Role of Community Corrections in Victim Services; Collaboration and Partnership for Victim Services in Community Corrections; Family
              The Impact of Probation and Parole Populations on Arrests in Four California Cities

            
      
This study’s purpose was to “determine the extent to which people on probation and parole contribute to the demands on the resources of local law enforcement, and to identify what opportunities exist to use data to target their limited resources more effectively” (p. 3). Some of the findings show
              Civil Liabilities and Other Legal Issues for Probation/Parole Officers and Supervisors: 4th Edition

            
      
The legal liabilities that probation and parole officers face as they perform their duties are explained. Chapters comprising this publication are: an overview of state and federal legal liabilities; civil liability under state law-state tort cases; civil liability under federal law-Section 1983
  
      Mass Probation from Micro to Macro: Tracing the Expansion and Consequences of Community Supervision (2020)
              Leveraging Technology to Enhance Community Supervision: Identifying Needs to Address Current and Emerging Concerns (2019)
              Probation Officer as a Coach: Building a New Professional Identity (2018)
              Less Is More: How Reducing Probation Populations Can Improve Outcomes (2017)
              Number of Offenders on Federal Supervised Release Hits All-Time High (2017)
              Building Trust and Legitimacy Within Community Corrections (2016)
              Missouri Policy Shortens Probation and Parole Terms, Protects Public Safety (2016)
              The New Science of Sentencing (2015)
              Probation and Parole in the United States (2015) - BJS
              Kentucky Division of Probation and Parole - Offender Handbook (2014)
              Too big to succeed: The impact of the growth of community corrections and what should be done about it
              Probation Population Counts - BJS
              Publications & Products: Probation And Parole Populations - BJS
              NIC Offender Reentry: The Value of Victim Involvement [Broadcast] Segment 4: Probation & Parole - Victim Involvement
              Accordion    Officers
      
      The Mental Health of Community Correctional Officers: Supervising Persons with Serious Mental Illness

            
      
Few studies have investigated factors that contribute to the mental health of probation and parole officers (PPOs). Addressing the needs of supervises with serious mental illness (SMI) can create unique challenges for PPOs, which in turn may increase job-related stress and impact PPOs’ mental health
              Working with Victims of Crime: An Integrated Approach for Community Supervision Professionals

            
      
Accession Number
              032727

            This Guide provides a comprehensive overview of available information on victims' rights and services. It is informed by the foundational work of many advocates, academics and community corrections professionals. While the Guide will outline specific tools and resources to inform your work, it is
              The Changing Relationship Between Ex-Criminals and Their Parole Officers

            
      
Accession Number
              031298

            "Oftentimes, parole and probation officers are the only positive role models offenders have. About a decade ago, criminologists began asking if parole and probation visits were a missed opportunity for law enforcement. What if officers developed a more supportive relationship with offenders? What if
              Secondary Trauma: The Personal Impact of Working with Criminal Offenders

            
      
This is a great article explaining how and why community corrections officers experience traumatic stress on the job and related efforts to address this problem. Sections cover: stress-it comes with the job; number of primary traumatic incidents for officers-28% experience four or more incidents
  
      845 Life: Female Probation Officers Relish a Risky Job (2017)
              Watchdog: Pay-or-Go-to-Jail Policy Makes Probation Officers Bill Collectors (2016)
              Probation Officer Protection Act of 2016 (2016)
              Surviving the Trenches: The Impact of Trauma Exposure on Corrections Professionals (2016)
              7 Things Probation Officers Do That Will Help You Lead Change (2016)
              York County Probation Officers to Carry Life-Saving Drug (2016)
              Changes in Sentencing Policy Raise Pressure on Probation Officers (2016)
              Accordion    Officers - Firearms
      
      California Penal Code Section 830.5 (2016)
              Practical Action Tips on Officer Safety for Tribal Probation Personnel (2014)
              Voices from the Field: How California Stakeholders View Public Safety Realignment, Brief (2014)
              Oregon Department of Corrections - Parole & Probation (2013)
              American Probation and Parole Association - Position Statement - Weapons (2009)
              Have Perceptions Changed among Staff Regarding Parole Officers’ Carrying Firearms?: A Description of Changes in Safety Perceptions and Supervisory Styles at th...
              American Probation and Parole Association Adult and Juvenile Probation and Parole National Firearm Survey (2006)
              Accordion    Probation - Drug Offenders
      
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Who Gets Time for Federal Drug Offenses? Data Trends and Opportunities for Reform

            
      
"Almost half of the 195,809 federally sentenced individuals in the Bureau of Prisons are serving time for drug trafficking offenses, but little is known about their criminal histories or the nature of their offenses. This brief examines both, finding that many people in federal prison for drug

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      Substance misuse and community supervision: A systematic review of the literature (2022)
              A STUDY OF DRUG TESTING PRACTICES IN PROBATION (2020)
              Swift and Certain, Proportionate and Consistent: Key Values of Urine Drug Test Consequences for Probationers (2017)
              New Program Aims to End Jail's Revolving Door of Drug Offenders (2016)
              Federal Drug Sentencing Laws Bring High Cost, Low Return (2015)
              Managing Drug-Involved Offenders (2014)
              Accordion    Probation - Female Offenders
      
      Access to Transportation and Outcomes for Women on Probation and Parole

            
      
"The current study focuses attention on a previously understudied topic - transportation deprivation in women offenders. This is a timely and important endeavor given the scale of mass incarceration, number of women on probation and parole, and the numerous barriers women with a criminal record face
              Outcome Evaluation of the Women Offender Case Management Model in Connecticut Probation

            
      
“The outcome evaluation [for the Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) implemented in Connecticut probation] focuses on determining whether participation in the project reduces future involvement in the criminal justice system as measured by recidivism over a fixed length follow-up period
  
      Fact Sheet: Incarcerated Women and Girls (2016)
              The Effects Of Probation Or Parole Agent Relationship Style And Women Offenders’ Criminogenic Needs On Offenders’ Responses To Supervision Interactions (2014)
              Accordion    Probation - Juveniles
      
      LGBT Youth in Juvenile Justice: Creating Agency Policies for an Equitable System Webinar

            
      
Many juvenile justice systems don't know how many young people in their system identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) and often lack appropriate policies that meet their unique needs ...
      
  Accession Number
              031374
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Diverting Youth at Probation Intake: The Front-End Diversion Initiative

            
      
This brief "discusses an effort in Texas to divert youth with suspected mental health needs away from juvenile justice processing. The Front-End Diversion Initiative (FEDI) uses specialized juvenile probation officers to link these youth and their families to community services and divert these

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              Statewide Risk Assessment in Juvenile Probation

            
      
This is the first "thorough systematic scan of the U.S. to determine the extent to which these [risk assessment] tools have been adopted across the country" (p. 1). Sections of this report address" statewide uniform assessment; layered/regional assessment; locally administered assessment; and design
              Doing it Right: Risk Assessment in Juvenile Justice - an NJJN Webinar

            
      
“When your juvenile justice system puts youth on probation, does it assess them for risk? If so, do staff know how to use these assessments effectively? Or do the assessments just sit in a file, waiting to be dusted off?
      
  Accession Number
              027307
  
      Toward Equity: Training Curriculum for Working with LGBT Youth (2015)
              Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice - Graduated Sanctions (2012)
              Transforming Juvenile Probation A Vision for Getting it Right
              National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges - Juvenile Sanctions
              Accordion    Probation - LGBTI
      
      LGBT Youth in Juvenile Justice: Creating Agency Policies for an Equitable System Webinar

            
      
Many juvenile justice systems don't know how many young people in their system identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) and often lack appropriate policies that meet their unique needs ...
      
  Accession Number
              031374
  
      UNJUST: How The Broken Criminal Justice System Fails LGBT People (2016)
              Santa Clara County Probation Department - Juvenile Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Policy (2013)
              Hidden Injustice Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth in Juvenile Courts (2009)
              Accordion    Probation - People with Mental Health Issues
      
      Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of Specialized Probation Initiatives

            
      
“This report articulates 10 essential elements for all probation interventions that involve people with mental illnesses, regardless of the particular program model” (p. vii). The essential elements are: collaborative planning and administration; defining, identifying, and assessing a target
              Improving Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses Under Community Corrections Supervision: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice

            
      
“This guide is organized around policymakers’ common questions about people with mental illnesses under community corrections supervision and the type and effectiveness of strategies designed to respond to this population” (p.3). Sections include: executive summary; introduction; the extent and
  
      National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit (2020)
              Mental health specialized probation caseloads: Are they effective? (2014)
              How do Probation Officers Assess and Manage Recidivism and Violence Risk for Probationers With Mental Health Disorder? An Experimental Investigation (2012)
              Use of Mental Health Services and Barriers to Care for Individuals on Probation or Parole (2011)
              Rethinking the Interface Between Mental Illness, Criminal Justice, and Academia (2011)
              Accordion    Probation - Sex Offenders
      
      Best Practices in the Assessment, Treatment, and Risk Management of Persons Who Have Sexually Offended

            
      
The assessment, treatment, and risk management of persons who have sexually offended is of considerable interest to a wide variety of stakeholder groups, including legislators and policymakers, court and law enforcement personnel, corrections and community supervision staff, mental health clinicians
              The Reentry of Adults Convicted of Sexual Offenses: A National Survey of Reentry Professionals

            
      
Results are presented from "a national survey of stakeholders invested in the successful reentry of adults convicted of sexual offenses ... The survey findings reveal variability regarding the extent to which respondents’ beliefs about various sex offender-related matters align with current research
              SOTIPS: Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale

            
      
“The Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS) is a statistically-derived dynamic measure designed to aid clinicians, correctional caseworkers, and probation and parole officers in assessing risk, treatment and supervision needs, and progress among adult males who have been
              Price
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Effective Supervision of Adult Sex Offenders in the Community [Videoconference held February 9, 2000]

            
      
The goal of this videoconference is to enhance the ability of probation and parole agency staff (line officers, supervisors, and policymakers/administrators) to supervise sex offenders in the community more effectively. Topics addressed include:
      
  Accession Number
              015921

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      Appeals Court Strikes Down Stringent Sex-Offender Probation Conditions (2016)
              Nevada Department of Public Safety - Parole and Probation - Sex Offender Conditions of Supervision
              State of Colorado Judicial Department - Additional Conditions of Probation for Adult Sex Offenders
              Accordion    Probation - Special Populations & Minorities
      
      Report of The Sentencing Project to the United Nations Human Rights Committee: Regarding Racial Disparities in the United States Criminal Justice System

            
      
“This report chronicles the racial disparity that permeates every stage of the United States criminal justice system, from arrest to trial to sentencing. In particular, the report highlights the influence of implicit racial bias and recounts the findings of the burgeoning scholarship on the role of
  
      The Alarming Lack of Data on Latinos in the Criminal Justice System (2016)
              Review of Alternatives to Incarceration & Special Populations Work Group Accomplishments (2016)
              What It’s Like to Be Black in the Criminal Justice System (2015)
              Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Probation Revocation (2014)
              Accordion    Probation - Tribal
      
      A Tribal Probation Officers Guide to Working with Victims

            
      
"While victims are not the primary client for you as a tribal probation officer [TPO], you are in a unique position to provide them with critical information and link them with services. This bulletin is designed to provide TPOs with a brief overview of victims’ rights, tips to help coordinate and
              Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts

            
      
Accession Number
              029962

            This website is an excellent resource for information about Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts. "[A] Tribal Healing to Wellness Court brings together alcohol and drug treatment, community healing resources, and the tribal justice process by using a team approach to achieve the physical and spiritual
              Using Family Mapping Tools to Enhance Outcomes for Tribal Members under Community Supervision

            
      
"This fact sheet is designed to serve as an overview of two family tools that help people visualize the connections within families and the connections families have to their community: genograms and ecomaps. This fact sheet also provides ideas for tribal probation officers about how they can
              Addressing Responsivity Issues with Criminal Justice-Involved Native Americans

            
      
Anyone working with Native American offenders should read this article. Its purpose is to "increase the level of understanding of correctional professionals about how the responsivity issues of Native American (NA) individuals can be effectively addressed. NA offenders are involved in criminal and
              Project Guide: Tribal Justice System Assessment

            
      
"[D]irection to tribal jurisdictions interested in conducting a justice system assessment for the purposes of addressing systemic issues raised in the development of detention and correctional facilities" is provided (p. 7). This guide is comprised of the following sections: introduction; what a
  
      Tribal Justice Probation System Review Guidebook (2019)
              A Desktop Guide for Tribal Probation Personnel: The Screening and Assessment Process (2011)
              NIC - Recommended Reading
              Accordion    Probation - Veterans
      
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Veterans Treatment Courts: A Second Chance for Vets Who Have Lost Their Way [Internet Broadcast]

            
      
This program on justice-involved veterans, highlights the lifesaving role being played by veterans treatment courts (VTCs) across the country.
      
  Accession Number
              029869

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      The Justice-Involved Veterans Network (JIVN) Working Group Meeting (2016)
              NIC Home | Justice Involved Veterans
              Accordion    Revocation
      
      Profiles in Probation Revocation: Examining the Legal Framework in 21 States

            
      
"This report compiles-in a convenient format-the results of a yearlong research project on the laws relating to probation revocation in 21 American states. By leafing through the four-page “legal profiles” presented in this volume, readers can easily see how much variation exists in statewide laws
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Reducing Incarceration for Technical Violations in Louisiana: Evaluation of Revocation Cap Shows Cost Savings, Less Crime

            
      
In order to ensure that limited jail and prison beds are maintained for high-risk offenders while lower-risk offenders are placed in more effective and cheaper options, the Louisiana legislature passed a law that limits the incarceration time of first-time probation or parole violators to 90 days.

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              Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Probation Revocation: Summary Findings and Implications from a Multisite Study

            
      
"Racial and ethnic disparity is pervasive in the American criminal justice system. This is particularly stark for blacks, who despite constituting just 13 percent of the US population, account for 30 percent of adult probationers, 37 percent of jail inmates, 38 percent of prisoners, and 40 percent
              Policy-Driven Responses to Probation and Parole Violations

            
      
The author describes the experiences of probation and parole agencies from across the country that worked with NIC on developing innovative approaches to probation and parole violations and revocations. The document identifies critical issues emerging from these experiences, and discusses the impact
  
      More Community, Less Confinement
              Reducing Revocation Challenge Final Report
              Course Corrections Cost Calculator
              Accordion    Sanctions & Rewards
      
      HOPE Probation: Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement

            
      
The CCCN's live webinar highlights Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE), a strategy to effect positive behavioral changes in probationers.
      
  Accession Number
              032784
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HOPE II: A Followup Evaluation of Hawai'i's HOPE Probation

            
      
"Hawai'i’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) Hawai'i’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement probation relies on a regimen of regular, random drug testing tied to swift and certain, but modest, sanctions to motivate probationer compliance. In two 2007 studies in Hawai'i, a comparison

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              Replicating HOPE: Can Others Do It As Well As Hawaii?

            
      
Accession Number
              028013

            “When Judge Steven Alm wanted to change the behavior of drug-using probationers, he instituted a program that used strict "swift and certain" principles. A rigorous NIJ-funded evaluation in 2009 proved him right. Probationers in Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) program were
              "Swift and Certain" Sanctions in Probation Are Highly Effective: Evaluation of the HOPE Program

            
      
Accession Number
              028074

            “The HOPE program - Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement - is an experimental probation program that emphasizes the delivery of "swift and certain" punishment when a probationer violates conditions of probation.” Sections of this brief cover; the positive effects of swift and certain
              Early Termination of Supervision: No Compromise to Community Safety

            
      
The “effectiveness of early termination as a measure that permits probation offices to focus supervision resources on persons most likely to recidivate, without compromising the statutory purposes of probation and supervised release” is examined. There is only a 5.9% new arrest rate for offenders
              Get Smart About... Rewards and Sanctions: The Facts about Contingency Management

            
      
“A risk-based Incentives and Sanctions program is an evidence-based intervention where supervising officers apply sanctions or rewards in response to specific behaviors of the offender. The goal is to increase positive behavior change related to behavior such as reducing drug use or applying for
              Accordion    Screening & Assessment
      
      Beyond Risk and Needs Assessments

            
      
“Most assessment systems target high-risk offenders. However, standard risk and needs assessments do not necessarily identify needs that are truly criminogenic for each individual; nor do they address responsivity. This is because these systems do not inherently identify either specific strategies
              Case Study: New York City Department of Probation’s Federal Partnership Efforts: Profile of a Successful Technical Assistance Collaboration With the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Corrections

            
      
"The New York City Department of Probation (DOP)-the second largest probation department in the country-is advancing a process to infuse evidence-based policies and practices (EBPP) throughout the organization ... What is significant for the purpose of this story is that the Federal agencies were
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Probation Review Implementation: How Best Practices Meet Everyday Practices

            
      
Results are presented from a comprehensive Probation Review of Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish. These are especially helpful if your probation department is considering revamping operations in order to achieve better efficiency and reduced recidivism. Sections of this report include: implementation

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      Drug Testing in Community Corrections: A Review of the Literature (2022)
              A STUDY OF DRUG TESTING PRACTICES IN PROBATION (2020)
              The Most Carefully Studied, yet Least Understood, Terms in the Criminal Justice Lexicon: Risk, Need, and Responsivity (2018)
              Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System (2018)
              Offender Screening Tool (OST) (2017)
              How Culture Shift and Data Redefined Probation Success in Riverside County (2016)
              Standards and Forms for the Risk/Need Classification System and Probation Supervision for the Probation Offices of the District, Boston Municipal and Superior ...
              Risk Assessment Tool Helps Probation Officers (2013)
              Risk/Needs Assessment 101: Science Reveals New Tools to Manage Offenders (2011)
              Accordion    Supervision
      
      Justice Reinvestment in Kansas: Strengthening Probation Supervision and Promoting Successful Reentry

            
      
This report describes efforts of Kansas to implement justice reinvestment-"a data-driven approach designed to reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in strategies that can reduce recidivism and improve public safety". Kansas's justice reinvestment policy framework "designed to strengthen
              Nebraska's Justice Reinvestment Approach: Reduce Prison Overcrowding and Expanding Probation and Parole Supervision

            
      
"Faced with a prison system at 159 percent of capacity and expected to grow to 170 percent of capacity by FY2020, state leaders in Nebraska pursued justice reinvestment. After extensive analyses identified key challenges in the state’s criminal justice system, policymakers developed a policy
              Corrections Statistical Analysis Tool (CSAT)-Probation

            
      
Accession Number
              029658

            "This dynamic analysis tool allows you to examine data collected by the Annual Probation Survey on adult probationers. It includes all adults, regardless of conviction status, who have been placed under the supervision of a probation agency as part of a court order. (Adults are persons subject to
              Dosage Probation: Rethinking the Structure of Probation Sentences

            
      
This is a great introduction to a new probation strategy which links “the duration of probation supervision to the optimal amount of intervention an offender needs in order to reduce risk of reoffense”.

This monograph “provides a policy and practice framework upon which this new model of
              Effective Responses to Offender Behavior: Lessons Learned from Probation and Parole Supervision

            
      
“Using effective strategies to keep probationers and parolees crime- and drug-free and curb their revocation rates is among the most important issues facing our community corrections supervision system ... Based on solid research, two key strategies that many agencies have begun to implement are the
              Reducing Recidivism Through Probation Supervision: What We Know and Don't Know From Four Decades of Research

            
      
“This article is about the relationship between recidivism rates and supervision skills used by probation officers (or others who supervise offenders on community-based orders or parole). It focuses on routine day-to-day supervision rather than on intensive supervision programs or other specialized
              Implementing the Family Support Approach for Community Supervision

            
      
Implementation of the Family Support Approach for Community Supervision is explained. This publication includes the following sections: introduction and overview; guiding principles for putting this system into practice; tools and techniques for putting this approach into practice; practical
              Two Probation Officer/Offender Contact Sessions (PO 1 & 2) [Motivational Interviewing]

            
      
These two role-played scenarios can be used in training or skill coding sessions as examples of:

A traditional probation supervision session
	A supervision session during which the probation officer uses motivational interviewing skills.
      
  Accession Number
              022005
  
      Electronic Monitoring Fees: A 50-State Survey of the Costs Assessed to People on E-Supervision
              Drug Testing as a Condition of Supervision (2020)
              Policy Reforms Can Strengthen Community Supervision (2020)
              Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision (2020)
              A Study of Drug Testing Practices in Probation (2020)
              Drug Testing in Community Corrections: A Review of the Literature (2020)
              Evaluating the Impact of Probation and Parole Home Visits (2019)
              Community Corrections Strategies for Supervising Those Victimized by Domestic Violence (2019)
              Incorporating Location Tracking Systems Into Community Supervision (2019)
              Dosage Probation: Enhancing Public Safety by Rethinking the Structure of Probation Sentences (2019)
              Fidelity to the Intensive Supervision Probation with Services Model: An Examination of Adult Redeploy Illinois Programs (2016)
              Could less be more when it comes to probation supervision? (2014)
              The Paradox of Probation: Community Supervision in the Age of Mass Incarceration (2013)
              Supervision Response Guidelines (2012)
              Role of Human Services During Community Supervision
              Research in Brief Use of Structured Sanctions and Incentives in Probation and Parole Supervision

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          Robbye Braxton
      
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              Chief (A)

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              Community Services Division

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              National Institute of Corrections

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              202-514-4562
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          Community Services Division

  Topics
          Probation
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