Highlights
There is a new report, Probation and parole in the United Statespublished by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics.
A sex offender recently murdered a Maryland probation officer during a home visit.
Parole and probation (especially probation) are the backbone of the correctional system, with approximately two-thirds of convicted offenders residing in communities. An estimated 3,668,800 adults were under community supervision.
Is there a connection between prison populations, correctional supervision and crime? It seems plausible based on the best available evidence from the US Department of Justice.
Author
Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.
Former senior crime prevention and statistics specialist at the Ministry of Justice Clearinghouse. Former Director of Information Services, National Crime Prevention Council. Former adjunct associate professor of criminology and public affairs at the University of Maryland, University College. Former police officer. Retired federal senior spokesperson.
Former advisor to presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. Former advisor to the national media campaign “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime.” Successful media campaigns against crime produced by the state.
Thirty-five years leading award-winning (50+) public relations for state and national criminal justice agencies. Interviewed thousands of times by every national news outlet, often focusing on crime statistics and research. Created the first state and federal podcast series. Produced a unique and emulated style of proactive government public relations.
Certificate of Advanced Study – Johns Hopkins University.
Author of ”Media Success: Everything You Need to Survive Reporters and Your Organization‘ available from Amazon and other booksellers.
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Article
The death of a probation officer in Maryland last month has heightened tensions between state officials and the union that represents probation officers over safety protocols. WashingtonPost. More about this story is available (without paywall) at Maryland is important. Three top officials within the state’s Parole and Probation Department have been replaced, a week after a parole officer was killed while visiting a sex offender’s home.
The focus of this article is on probation, as the vast majority of those under supervision in the community are probationers And their increasingly troubled criminal history.
Probation was once a sanction for people convicted of mid- to lower-level crimes, with no criminal history or those with a limited criminal history. Now, 65 percent are on probation for a crime, up from 53% in 2012.
The percentage with ‘known characteristics’ shows that 50 percent have been convicted of a violent crime, with large increases since 2012.
Historically, that’s a huge difference.
Traditionally, probation and parole agents have large caseloads (150-200 to one is quite common) and the question attorneys often ask is what they do to prevent recidivism through placement in programs.
If 65 percent are criminals and 50 percent are violent, then we have a matter of public safety and rehabilitation as a priority.
Parole and probation officers are perhaps some of the best “criminologists” in the legal system. There is nothing like direct and sustained contact with offenders and their families to understand the crime and the offender population. However, probation and parole officers often leave their offices due to the overwhelming workload.
Recidivism of test subjects
There is little national research on probation recidivism. The Bureau of Justice Statistics states that 43 percent of state probationers were rearrested for a criminal offense more than three years, but it is a dated study. However, if we include crimes (and measure over a longer period of time), that number would be significantly higher.
65 percent completed the probationary period So, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there is a clear overlap between new arrests and successful completions. Arrests do not appear to get in the way of completing parole and probation.
Recidivism of parolees
According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, 82 percent of those released from state prisons in the past decade were rearrested and 61 percent were returned to prison. They had 4.2 million arrests before their incarceration. Forty-two percent had five to ten prior incarcerations.
Bureau of Justice Statistics Report
Of adults on probation for whom the type of crime was known, 65% were on probation for a crime in 2022, compared to 53% in 2012.
About 35% of adults on probation with a known felony in 2022 had a misdemeanor.
Among adults under community supervision for whom the most serious offense was known, 25% of probationers and 39% of parolees had committed a violent crime.
(Editor’s note: The 25 percent probation violent rate excludes sex offenses, domestic violence, and other violent crimes. See chart below. The actual violent probation rate is 50 percent. See the percentage with known categories below).
(Editor’s note: Most parolees have been convicted of a violent crime, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, so the above 39 percent violent rate for parolees doesn’t make sense, especially when you factor in criminal history. From Bureau data of Justice Statistics show that 62 percent of state prisoners were violent and 66 percent of male prisoners are serving a prison sentence for violent crimes.)
The gender distribution of persons under community supervision whose gender was known remained consistent over the past decade, across both probation and parole. In both 2012 and 2022, women made up 24% of the reported adult trial population and 11% of the adult trial population.
Active probation supervision decreased from 73% of the probation population whose status was known in 2012 to 64% in 2022.
About 80% of paroled adults with known supervision status were under active supervision in 2022, while less than 1% had only financial conditions.
Chart probation (click to enlarge)
Conclusions
Overworked probation and parole officers are dealing with increasingly difficult cases. The number of legal-related mental health populations is increasing across the country. Most in community supervision have a history of substance abuse.
Parole and probation (especially probation) are the backbone of the correctional system, with approximately two-thirds of convicted offenders residing in communities. An estimated 3,668,800 adults were under community supervision (probation or parole).
But regardless of advocates’ positions, there is no national consensus on best practices in community supervision, largely due to the overwhelming number of people on parole and probation” and “the seriousness of their crimes” and “the lack of research” and “insufficient state funding of programs.”
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