ch 6: community corrections

what are community corrections?

sanctions and supervision that occur in the community instead of jail. the 3 types are probation, intermediate sanctions, and parole supervision

what percent of the correctional population is supervised in the community?

about 70%

what does figure 1 from the PPT show about correctional populations?

people on probation and parole make up the largest portion of the total population under correctional supervision. this is larger than those in jail/prison

what is probation?

a term of conditional supervision imposed by the court instead of incarceration

how does probation operate?

offenders live in the community and must comply with court-ordered conditions while being supervised by a probation officer

how has the lack of funding affected probation practices?

-high caseloads

-reduced contact between officers and probationers

-increased use of unsupervised probation

is parole a sanction imposed by the court?

no it is not

who decides whether someone is released on parole?

the parole board

how is someone released on parole?

an incarcerated person is conditionally released early from prison after review by the parole board

what are intermediate sanctions?

sanctions more restrictive than probation but less severe than prison

why were intermediate sanctions developed?

to reduce costs, improve accountability, protect public safety, increase rehabilitation

what are the goals of intermediate sanctions?

-decrease correctional costs

-increase offender accountability

-improve rehabilitation effectiveness

what is ISP

a highly structured form of probation with frequent officer contact and strict conditions

what is house confinement?

restricting an offender to their residence except for approved activities like work

what are day reporting centers?

non-residential programs where offenders report frequently for services like drug testing, treatment, job training

what are residential programs?

temporary housing that provide intensive services to help offenders reintegrate

what are boot camps?

military style programs focusing on discipline, structure, and physical training

do boot camps reduce recidivism?

evidence is mixed, with more evidence showing little impact on recidivism

what is net widening?

when intermediate sanctions are applied to more or lower risk offenders than intended

why is net widening a problem?

-increases costs

-raises technical violations

-leads to more people in prison

-expands social control

why does intensive supervision worsen outcomes for low risk offenders?

-increased monitoring leads to more technical violations

-disrupts stable employment and social ties

-exposes them to higher risk peers

what is the general finding about the effectiveness of probation and intermediate sanctions?

findings are mixed, and effectiveness depends on how success is defined (completion, violations, arrests)

what percentage of probationers successfully complete probation?

about 66%

what is the most common reason probation fails?

technical violations and new misdemeanor offenses, not serious new crimes

how do intermediate sanctions compare to regular probation?

-higher participation in treatment

-higher revocation rates

-only modest differences in recidivism compared to probation or prison

which group tends to have the lowest recidivism rates?

probationers, followed by offenders in intermediate sanctions

what is the biggest takeaway from evaluation studies on intermediate sanctions?

intermediate sanctions should be reserved for higher risk offenders and not low risk offenders

why should intermediate sanctions be reserved for high risk offenders?

because increased monitoring leads to more technical violations, worsening outcomes without improving public safety

what will released individuals need to obtain to increase the likelihood of reentry success?

-food

-shelter

-employment

-clothing

what challenges do prisoners face upon release due to the ex-con label?

-lack of employment opportunities

-lack of housing opportunities

-limited access to mental health treatments

how does the ex-con label affect reentry success?

it creates barriers to stability, increasing stress and risk of recidivism

what is prisoner reentry (or reintegration)?

efforts designed to help offenders adjust to a law abiding lifestyle in the community after release from prison

who provides reentry services?

-nonprofit organizations

-faith based organizations

-correctional system