Probation Programs, Essay Example

Wisconsin statutes 973.09(1)(a) allow for probation to be granted in any case where the sentence is less than life imprisonment. According to Kate Lind, J.D., 38.2 percent of offenders are convicted of a new crime within three years of their release. In 2009, 25 percent of Wisconsin prison admissions were for offenders actively on community corrections supervision. In 2007, only 46 percent of offenders that left parole successfully completed the program. (Kate Lind)

A 2007 meta-study of all research projects concerning restorative justice published between 1986 and 2005 showed positive results mainly for the victim. Data collected does not show that restorative justice has a significant impact on crime rate. (Beven)

Almost ¾ of felony offenders convicted in California, 2007, were sentenced to probation or a combination of probation and jail. Less than half of those cases ended with successful completion of probation. California’s overall probation program success rate is 10 percent lower than the national average. (Brown)

The Juvenile Intensive Supervision Program in the state of New Jersey seems to function similar to adult probation programs in California. I could not find arrest, release, or repeat offense statistics for New Jersey’s juvenile program; however a study from 2002 concluded that New Jersey’s ISP program does not increase recidivism. (Beatty) The same study determined that in Georgia, repeat offenses increased for low risk cases in ISP as intervention increased, but Massachusetts had the opposite results. There, recidivism decreased as intervention increased. (Beatty)

Bibliography

Beatty, Darryl. “An Assessment of Texas Juvenile Intensive Supervision Programs.” 2002. 10 June 2012 <https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/3673/fulltext.pdf>.

Beven, Jaime. “Restoration or Renovation: Evaluating Restorative Justice Outcomes.” Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (2005): 194.

Brown, Paul Golaszewski and Brian. Achieving Better Outcomes For Adult Probation. 29 May 2009. 10 June 2012 <http://www.lao.ca.gov/2009/crim/Probation/probation_052909.aspx>.

Kate Lind, J.D. Stopping the Revolving Door: Reform of Community Corrections in Wisconsin. 2009. 10 June 2012 <http://www.wpri.org/Reports/Volume22/Vol22No5/Vol22No5.html>.

Wisconsin Sate Law Library. Probation & Parole. 14 May 2012. 10 June 2012 <http://wilawlibrary.gov/topics/justice/crimlaw/probation.php>.