Probation in a System of Justice

8/9/2019 Probation in a System of Justice

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PROBATION IN A SYSTEM OF JUSTICE

"All things are difficult before they are easy" (George Patton)

Scholars disagree on the origins of ro!ation" !#t the $ost co$$onl% reeated

stor% is a!o#t the so&called 'father of ro!ation' John A#g#st#s ()*+,&)+,-." a

Boston shoe$a/er 0ho fro$ )+1) to )+,- !ailed eole (dr#n/ards" $ostl%. o#tof 2ail and got 2#dges to red#ce or s#send sentences if the% sta%ed o#t of

tro#!le3 Indeed" it is tr#e that John A#g#st#s in4ented the 0ord 'ro!ation'

5fro$ the 6atin 'ro!are' to ro4e or test7" !#t the stor% ersists in art !eca#se

it highlights the fact that earl% ro!ation officers 0ere caring 4ol#nteers3 All

together" A#g#st#s $anaged to !ail o#t and s#er4ise a!o#t 8"999 $en" 0o$en"

and children3 :is rogress reorts 0ere so good that the% !eca$e the $odel for

the rest of the state of Massach#setts3 B% )-99" fo#r other states 0ere follo0ing

the Massach#setts $odel3 The rest 0ere follo0ing the Illinois J#4enile Co#rt

$odel" 0hich started # in )+--3 In A$erica" ro!ation for ad#lts (and not 2#st

2#4eniles. didn;t reall% catch on #ntil a!o#t )-,


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0ith no $onthl% contact" or intensi4e ro!ation" 0here $ore fre?#ent&than&

$onthl% contact is e@ected3 There are a!o#t 8"999 co$$#nit% correctional

rogra$s in the U3S3" and $an% of the$ are state f#nded rogra$s3 Thirt% (9.

states co$!ine their ro!ation and arole agencies3 These agencies #s#all%

$aintain lists of e$lo%ers 0illing to hire e@&offenders3 A erson on ro!ation or

arole is called a client" and the ersons 0ho s#er4ise the$ are called POs3

Technicall%" a ro!ationer is still #nder the s#er4ision of their original

sentencing 2#dge" and arolees are #s#all% still #nder the 2#risdiction of a

correctional facilit%3 An offender !eco$es eligi!le for ro!ation long !efore the

original sentence is iss#ed" in a !ac/gro#nd chec/ that the ro!ation office has

done & called a pre-sentence investigation & to assist the 2#dge at sentencing3 In

addition" $ost agencies #tilie another for$ & called a need and risk assessment &

0hich !alances the offender;s reha!ilitati4e ossi!ilities 0ith the otential for

danger to the co$$#nit%3 In so$e states" a ri4ate contractor (li/e the Sal4ation

Ar$%. is #sed to ro4ide resentence in4estigati4e ser4ices3 Man% states also

allo0 a 4icti$ i$act state$ent to !e added to a re&sentence in4estigation

reort3 J#dges #s#all% conc#r 0ith reorts a!o#t +, of the ti$e (Allen et al3

89)9.3

Pro!ation Officer (PO. 0or/ is !ased on the social 0or/ $odel of case0or/

s#er4ision3 It is a different 4ie0 of s#er4ision than that ta#ght in $anage$ent

classes3 Under the social 0or/ fra$e0or/" s#er4ision itself is the treat$ent3

PO;s s#er4ise !% o!taining as $#ch infor$ation as ossi!le (fro$ all a4aila!le

so#rces. in order to !e constantl% assessing the offender;s treat$ent needs3

Essentiall%" it is $anage$ent !% snooing aro#nd3 There is also a s#r4eillance

asect3 So$e PO;s do indeed 4isit ro!ationers at ho$e" !#t $ost don;t3 The

#rose of s#r4eillance is not so $#ch treat$ent as it is to ens#re the co$$#nit%

or neigh!orhood is safe fro$ the ro!ationer3 This e$hasis #on #!lic safet%

is so$eti$es called '!ro/en 0indo0s ro!ation' (Arola D 6a0rence 8999.3

:ence" ro!ation 0or/ has a d#al" or 'do#!le agent' f#nction && the% $#st

constantl% care for the offender 0hile si$#ltaneo#sl% distr#sting the

offender3

The sie of a PO;s caseload 4aries" deending #on location3 In Ne0 Yor/ and

California" for e@a$le" it;s not #n#s#al for a PO to ha4e a caseload as high as199 clients3 In r#ral areas" the t%ical caseload is aro#nd 8, clients3 The national

a4erage is a!o#t )99 clients3 So$e o4erloaded 2#risdictions ha4e esta!lished

dri4e 0indo0s" ostcard $ail&in rogra$s" or digital al$ scanning de4ices

at central locations3 Most ro!ation rogra$s can !e called ' pee 'em and see

'em' rogra$s3 There are so$e laces" ho0e4er" that e$hasie fre?#ent"

rando$" face&to&face chec/s or ho$e 4isits3 S#er4ising offenders in the

co$$#nit% re?#ires roacti4e inter4ention and case $anage$ent strategies3


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POs ha4e the sa$e arrest o0ers as olice officers" and it is #s#all% at their o0n

discretion if the% 0ant to carr% a 0eaon" altho#gh agenc% olicies 4ar%3

To !eco$e a ro!ation officer" a !achelor;s degree is #s#all% re?#ired3 There

is also a 0ritten test for $ost 2o!s3 In addition" a!o#t half of all agencies re?#ire

a s%chological test3 There is #s#all% a si@&0ee/ re&ser4ice training eriod" andin&ser4ice training is fre?#entl% e$hasied3 Salaries a4erage in the $id&thirties"

aro#nd ,",99 as a national a4erage" !#t in so$e laces" li/e Alas/a" the salar%

can !e as high as +"9993 The federal ro!ation s%ste$ a%s ?#ite 0ell"

significantl% $ore than the states3 In general" ro!ation 0or/ a%s !etter than

arole 0or/3 Parole officers tend to co$e fro$ !ac/gro#nds 0ith t0o or three

%ears of olice or correctional officer 0or/" and the% ha4e closer ties 0ith la0

enforce$ent andor corrections3 Beca#se the salaries are fairl% ade?#ate" and

rofessionaliation has occ#rred 0ith college credentials" there is little t#rno4er

a$ong ersonnel in this field3 :o0e4er" the 0or/ is stressf#l" and !#rno#t is

?#ite co$$on3

T:E EFFECTIGENESS OF PROBATION

Onl% a!o#t


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ha4e their conditions $odified to resond to the $is!eha4ior" %et contin#e to !e

s#er4ised in the co$$#nit% rather than sent to rison3 Pro!ation and arole

officers ha4e a range of grad#ated sanctions a4aila!le to address technical

4iolations fro$ a 4er!al reri$and and increased reorting re?#ire$ents to

referrals to treat$ent or ser4ice rogra$s" electronic $onitoring" and re&

incarceration3 Conditions attached to the s#ccessf#l co$letion of ro!ation

$a% so$eti$es !e so stringent that many offenders prefer to choose jail or prison

rather than probation3

A ro!ation re4ocation hearing is a rather serio#s and contentio#s affair3 The

hearing is go4erned !% r#les set do0n in Gagnon v. carpelli " a )-* S#re$e

Co#rt case 0hich act#all% re?#ires t0o (8. hearingsH a reli$inar% one and a

final one3 B#t" the $ore interesting asect of this case la0 is 0hether or not

ro!ationers ha4e 'rights' or 'ri4ileges' for a hearing3 The S#re$e Co#rt

dodged the iss#e !% sa%ing that agnon hearings 0ere 'entitle$ents' and the

onl% right 0hich can !e e@ercised is that of confrontation and cross&e@a$ination

of 0itnesses3

Traditional" or straight" ro!ation is not the onl% arrange$ent that can !e

$ade3 So$e 2#risdictions (li/e North Carolina. allo0 the 2#dge to enter a ra%er

for 2#dg$ent" 0hich $eans %o#;re fo#nd g#ilt% !#t if %o# !eha4e for a set eriod

of ti$e (t%icall% one to three %ears." the offense 0ill not go on %o#r record3

So$e A$erican 2#risdictions still ractice deferred rosec#tion" !#t it is $ore

co$$onl% called a s#sended sentence in $ost laces3 These are all descendants

of a ractice once /no0n as 2#dicial rerie4e" or s#rsis (s#rcease. in E#roean

societies3 ith a s#sended sentence" a con4iction is recorded !#t no conditions

are attached for s#er4ision3 The 2#dge reser4es the otion of re4o/ing the

s#sended sentence if the% e4er see that offender in their co#rtroo$ again3

Other arrange$ents incl#de shock probation" also /no0n as the slit sentence"

0here the offender sends so$e initial ti$e in 2ail" follo0ed !% a eriod of

ro!ation3 Shoc/ incarceration is so$e0hat different in that the offender $#st

etition the co#rt 0hile in 2ail to !e released on ro!ation3 There is e4en a t%e

of inter$ittent arrange$ent called shock parole" 0here the offender ser4es so$e

2ail ti$e" so$e arole ti$e" and then so$e $ore 2ail ti$e3

T:E FUTURE OF PROBATION

Pro!ation is the stat#s of conditional freedo$" and is nor$all% a4aila!le to

e4er% offender" regardless of offense3 In 2#4enile 2#stice" aro@i$atel%


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reha!ilitation and reintegration3 So$e states do not !elie4e in 2#4enile

ro!ation" as laces li/e Ne4ada" ashington" est Girginia" and isconsin ha4e

at one ti$e or another" '!anned' it3 Yet other 2#risdictions cannot afford

ro!ation" and the ones that can fre?#entl% ha4e o4er0hel$ing case loads"

forcing erf#nctor% 4isits and occasional hone calls to ta/e the lace of

indi4id#alied ser4ice3 The role of a ro!ation officer" according to $ost

te@t!oo/s on the s#!2ect" is to 'correct' !eha4ior" not si$l% $onitor and 4erif%

it" !#t #nfort#natel%" the latter is 0hat ro!ation ser4ices $ost often do3 So$e

2#risdictions are ?#ic/ to 're4o/e' ro!ation 0hile in others" re4ocation of

ro!ation is hardl% e4er #sed3

Pro!ation is so$eti$es co$!ined 0ith ho$e confine$ent or electronic

$onitoring3 These s#r4eillance techni?#es ha4e !een in4ested in ?#ite hea4il% !%

so$e states3 Research res#lts to date indicate that not onl% do these rogra$s

ha4e high s#ccess rates (!ordering on -+ s#ccessf#l co$letion of ro!ation."

!#t the% are less costl% for the s%ste$" once the initial technolog% costs are

stretched o#t o4er ti$e3 Yet" there are $an% critics of electronic $onitoring" and

so$e of these criticis$s are listed !elo0H

)3 As a 'softer' #nish$ent" $onitoring $a% !e '0idening the net' !% in4ol4ing

'soft' offenders 0ho $ight 2#st as 0ell !e released

83 A erson;s ho$e is their 'castle' and the go4ern$ent has no right to !e doing

an% /ind of s#r4eillance there

3 The resence of other fa$il% $e$!ers $a% ca#se ro!le$s in the #s#al

confidentialit% relationshi or ri4ilege

13 Accetance of this /ind of technolog% $a% onl% !e a ste to0ard 'Big

Brother' technolog% that goes f#rther

Of the $an% hilosohies #t for0ard" reintegration has long !een regarded

!% $an% scholars as the ideal hilosoh% of choice" and so$e (Braith0aite )-+-K

Braith0aite D Pettit )--9. call this hilosoh% restorati4e 2#stice" 0hich is

act#all% a !roader ter$ referring to a holistic aroach that generates a

co$lete change in life3 The !asic idea is that e@&offenders are onl% read% to re&

2oin the co$$#nit% of free eole 0hen the% co$e to recognie the in2#stice in

the har$ the% ha4e ca#sed others3 Restorati4e 2#stice $eans rede$tion is

earned thro#gh reairing in2#stice3 Reintegration has so$e0hat different goals

&& to reare offenders to re&enter societ% and to reare co$$#nities to accet

e@&offenders3 Reintegration also $eans f#ll incl#sion in a 0ider $oral

co$$#nit%" and contains the follo0ing co$onentsH

• aro4al of the erson


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• resectf#lness

• forgi4eness

• ride

Aro4al of the erson is aro4al as a erson" not for 0hat the erson did"

!#t for their !asic h#$anit% and otential to !e a good erson3 Resectf#lness is

the !asic decenc% in the 0a% a erson is treated3 Forgi4eness in4ol4es the act or

rit#al of charit%3 Pride is recognition of the talents and s/ills that eole can

contri!#te to their co$$#nit%3 It is fro$ these hilosohical ositions that

cri$inal 2#stice scholars criticall% e@a$ine" and are so$eti$es critical of"

co$$#nit% corrections" eseciall% ro!ation and arole3 Pro!ation is here to

sta% !eca#se it has esta!lished itself as a $a2or co$onent (front&end sol#tion. of

corrections3 Allen et al3 (89)9. also e$hasie the cost sa4ings3 =ail%" it costs13)+ co$ared to a cost of


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Probation in a System of Justice

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