And that's just not true. Persons under the supervision of the probation and parole office are monitored closely, Lew said. They must keep their agent appraised of where they are and what they do. As Lew put it, there is a lot of intrusion into their lives. Lew said he and seven full-time agents pay close attention to what their Sauk County charges are doing.
Offenders usually spend time in a halfway house if they have been paroled or released.
Continued treatment is often mandated and the offender's progress is monitored. Of special concern are the approximately 1,200 offenders who fall into the high-risk category. Lew said these people are under intensive supervision, where frequent check-ins and even electronic bracelets are used to monitor them. Their parole or probation can be revoked at any time for breaking the rules they must abide by. Lew said sex offenders are most often returned to prison because of rules infractions, not because they reoffend.