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Probation and Parole - Probation

Characteristics of Probationers

Those whom the courts release for probation are deemed to be the least dangerous among those arrested and most likely to stay clear of the justice system in the future, although only 59% of those on probation appear to succeed. (See Table 8.4.) Whereas all persons in prison serve sentences for felonies, only 49% of probationers were felons in 2003; 49% had been sentenced for misdemeanors, the rest for other infractions. In 1995 the majority (54%) had felony sentences while only 44% had misdemeanors.

According to Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003, among those entering probation in 2003, 73% did so without any incarceration; among those leaving this status, 59% had completed their probation successfully—a far higher percentage than those leaving parole (47%). Among those leaving probation in 2003, be it by reason of completing probation or failing to do so successfully, 16% returned to incarceration or were incarcerated for the first time. By contrast, 38% of those leaving parole were put behind bars again for failure to live up to the rules or committing a new offense. The single largest category of serious offense committed by probationers was a drug violation (25%) followed by driving while intoxicated (17%).

TABLE 8.1
Adults under correctional supervision, by region and jurisdiction, 2003
SOURCE: Lauren E. Glaze and Seri Palla, "Table 8. Total under Adult Correctional Supervision and Number Supervised per 100,000 Adult Residents, by Jurisdiction, 2003," in Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2004, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ppus03.pdf (accessed April 3, 2005)

Region and jurisdiction Total under correctional supervision, 12/31/03 Number on probation or parole,a 12/31/03 Number in prison or jail, 6/30/03 Supervision rate per 100,000 adultsb Percent of correctional population incarcerated
    U.S. total 6,889,800 4,811,200 2,078,600 3,173 30.2%
Federal 282,800 117,100 165,800 130 58.6%
State 6,607,000 4,694,100 1,912,800 3,042 29.0
Northeast 1,067,000 792,700 274,200 2,588 25.7%
Connecticut 74,100 54,800 19,300 2,815 26.0
Maine 13,400 9,900 3,500 1,341 26.4
Massachusetts 153,300 130,800 22,500 3,117 14.6
New Hampshire 9,400 5,300 4,100 974 43.6
New Jersey 183,600 137,500 46,100 2,817 25.1
New York 278,400 180,100 98,200 1,925 35.3
Pennsylvania 315,000 239,500 75,600 3,339 24.0
Rhode Island 27,700 24,200 3,500 3,357 12.8
Vermont 12,000 10,600 1,400 2,559 11.9
Midwest 1,418,300 1,055,300 363,000 2,918 25.6%
Illinois 244,400 179,500 65,000 2,609 26.6
Indiana 155,300 118,600 36,700 3,373 23.6
Iowa 36,200 24,000 12,200 1,638 33.7
Kansas 34,400 18,700 15,700 1,715 45.7
Michigan 263,100 195,800 67,400 3,527 25.6
Minnesota 127,900 114,300 13,600 3,411 10.6
Missouri 110,600 70,800 39,800 2,595 36.0
Nebraska 25,800 19,100 6,800 2,009 26.2
North Dakota 5,700 3,700 1,900 1,189 34.0
Ohio 301,400 236,300 65,000 3,530 21.6
South Dakota 11,600 7,200 4,400 2,069 38.2
Wisconsin 101,800 67,300 34,500 2,491 33.9
South 2,730,900 1,879,100 851,800 3,485 31.2%
Alabama 74,200 45,100 29,100 2,202 39.2
Arkansas 59,600 41,800 17,800 2,924 29.9
Delaware 26,200 19,400 6,800 4,235 25.9
District of Columbiac 15,400 12,300 3,100 3,440 20.3
Florida 423,900 289,100 134,900 3,197 31.8
Georgia 533,500 446,500 87,000 d d
Kentucky 63,100 35,700 27,400 2,028 43.4
Louisiana 106,600 58,100 48,400 3,255 45.5
Maryland 128,400 91,600 36,800 3,117 28.6
Mississippi 47,500 20,900 26,600 2,264 56.0
North Carolina 165,500 115,800 49,600 2,589 30.0
Oklahoma 62,100 32,400 29,700 2,372 47.9
South Carolina 79,400 43,300 36,200 2,547 45.5
Tennessee 90,900 49,400 41,400 2,054 45.6
Texas 738,000 524,200 213,800 4,609 29.0
Virginia 102,500 46,500 56,000 1,827 54.6
West Virginia 14,000 6,900 7,100 991 50.5
West 1,390,800 967,000 423,800 2,840 30.5%
Alaska 10,900 6,300 4,500 2,382 41.7
Arizona 112,700 71,200 41,600 2,717 36.9
California 725,600 485,000 240,500 2,791 33.2
Colorado 84,700 56,800 27,900 2,486 33.0
Hawaii 25,200 19,900 5,300 2,600 21.0
Idaho 43,600 34,500 9,100 d d
Montana 12,500 7,700 4,800 1,817 38.1
Nevada 32,400 16,300 16,100 1,909 49.7
New Mexico 30,100 17,000 13,100 2,211 43.6
Oregon 83,100 64,500 18,600 3,082 22.4
Utah 22,400 11,900 10,500 1,397 46.9
Washington 199,500 170,600 28,900 4,350 14.5
Wyoming 8,100 5,200 2,900 2,186 35.5
Note: Counts were rounded to the nearest 100. Jail counts by state were estimated, using the average daily population from Deaths in Custody, 2002 and the Annual Survey of Jails, 2003.
aExcludes by state and region 25,497 probationers in jail and 11,872 probationers in prison.
bBased on the estimated number of adult state residents on December 31, 2003, using the 2000 Census of Population and Housing and adjusting for population change since April 2000.
c Excludes inmates held by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
d Not calculated.

FIGURE 8.1
Adult correctional populations, 1980–2003
SOURCE: "Adult Correctional Populations, 1980–2003," in Key Facts at a Glance, Correctional Populations, Bureau of Justice Statistics, August 20, 2002, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/corr2.htm (accessed April 2, 2005)

TABLE 8.2
Change in the number of adults on probation, 1995–2003
SOURCE: Lauren E. Glaze and Seri Palla, "Table 3. Change in the Number of Adults on Probation, 1995–2003," in Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2004, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ppus03.pdf (accessed April 2, 2005)

Annual increase
Year Number Percent change
1995 96,839 3.2%
1996 87,135 2.8
1997 101,841 3.2
1998a 121,100 3.7
1999a 109,481 3.0
2000 46,287 1.2
2001 105,522 2.8
2002 92,336 2.4
2003 49,920 1.2
    Total increase, 1995–2003b 996,126 32.4%
    Average annual increase, 1995–2003c 100,315 2.9%
a Survey coverage was expanded to include 186 additional agencies in 1998 and 1999. Annual increases reflect comparable reporting agencies in each year.
b Based on overall survey counts, 1995 and 2003.
c Based on comparable reporting agencies, excluding 193,607 probationers in 2003 who were in agencies added since 1995.

In comparison with state and federal prisoners, a larger proportion of probationers were female (23% versus 6.9% of prisoners) and white (56% versus 35% of those in prison) in 2003. A smaller proportion of probationers were African-American (30% of probationers, 44.1% of prisoners) and of Hispanic origin (12% of probationers, 19% of prisoners).

TABLE 8.3
Change in the number of adults on parole, 1995–2003
SOURCE: Lauren E. Glaze and Seri Palla, "Table 6. Change in the Number of Adults on Parole, 1995–2003," in Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2004, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ppus03.pdf (accessed April 2, 2005)

Annual increase
Year Number Percentage Change
1995 −10,950 −1.6%
1996 312 0.0
1997 15,054 2.2
1998 1,598 0.2
1999 18,072 2.6
2000 9,441 1.3
2001 8,435 1.2
2002 18,601 2.5
2003 23,654 3.1
    Total increase, 1995–2003 95,167 14.0%
    Average annual increase, 1995–2003 11,896 1.7%

Geographical Distribution

On average across the nation, nearly two people of every 100 (1,876 per 100,000 adults) were under probation, but rates varied considerably state to state and region to region, according to Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003. In broad terms, populations of probationers paralleled the general population with some differences. (See Table 8.5.) The South and the Midwest had proportionally more probationers. In the South, 2,135 per 100,000 adults were on probation. In the Midwest, the rate was 1,926 per 100,000. The West (1,672 per 100,000) and the Northeast (1,491 per 100,000) had proportionately fewer probationers.

Table 8.5 shows these data for all states and the District of Columbia for 2003. Rankings are provided in Table 8.6. Texas leads in probationer population (431,989) but is second in total population. California is second in probationers (374,701), first in people. Florida (287,641), Ohio (219,658), and Michigan (176,392) round out the top five.

Kentucky (17.2%), Mississippi (14.9%), Nebraska (11.8%), and New Hampshire (11.6%) had the greatest increases in probationers between 2002 and 2003. Washington (3,767 per 100,000 adult population), Rhode Island (3,143), Delaware (3,058), Minnesota (2,953), Texas (2,698), and Massachusetts (2,585) had the highest rates of probationers to population. The state of Washington also had the largest percentage (3.8%) of its population under some form of community supervision. The states with the fewest probationers per 100,000 adult U.S. residents were New Hampshire (426), West Virginia (487), and Utah (646). (See Table 8.6.)

TABLE 8.4
Characteristics of adults on probation, 1995, 2000, and 2003
SOURCE: Lauren E. Glaze and Seri Palla, "Table 4. Characteristics of Adults on Probation, 1995, 2000, and 2003," in Probation and Parole in the United States, 2003, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2004, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ppus03.pdf (accessed April 2, 2005)

Characteristics of adults on probation 1995 2000 2003
    Total 100% 100% 100%
Gender
Male 79% 78% 77%
Female 21 22 23
Race
White 53% 54% 56%
Black 31 31 30
Hispanic 14 13 12
American Indian/Alaska Native 1 1 1
Asian/Pacific Islandera d 1 1
Status of probation
Direct imposition 48% 56% 54%
Split sentence 15 11 8
Sentence suspended 26 25 25
Imposition suspended 6 7 10
Other 4 1 3
Status of supervision
Active 79% 76% 71%
Residential/other treatment program c c 1
Inactive 8 9 9
Absconder 9 9 11
Warrant status c c 4
Supervised out of state 2 3 2
Other 2 3 2
Type of offense
Felony 54% 52% 49%
Misdemeanor 44 46 49
Other infractions 2 2 2
Most serious offense
Sexual assault c c 3%
Domestic violence c c 7
Other assault c c 9
Burglary c c 5
Larceny/theft c c 12
Fraud c c 4
Drug law violations c 24 25
Driving while intoxicated 16 18 17
Minor traffic offenses c 6 6
Other 84 52 12
Adults entering probation
Without incarceration 72% 79% 73%
With incarceration 13 16 22
Other types 15 5 6
Adults leaving probation
Successful completions 62% 60% 59%
Returned to incarceration 21 15 16
With new sentence 5 3 5
With the same sentence 13 8 7
Unknown 3 4 4
Absconderb c 3 4
Discharge to custody, detainer, or warrant c 1 1
Other unsuccessfulb c 11 13
Death 1 1 1
Other 16 9 7
Note: For every characteristic there were persons of unknown status or type. Detail may not sum to total because of rounding.
a Includes Native Hawaiians.
b In 1995 "absconder" and "other unsuccessful" statuses were reported among "other."
c Not available.
d Less than 0.5%.

Federal Probation Violations

Probation can be a successful sentencing approach. In 2002 some 79.5% of federal probationers did not violate the terms of their probation, according to Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics, 2002 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 2004). Of the 20.5% who did violate probation, most had either committed a new crime (6.6% of all probationers) or had used drugs (3.7%). (See Table 8.7.) Those who had been convicted of violent offenses were most likely to violate probation by committing a new crime (11.7%). Those who had been previously convicted of murder were the most likely to commit a new crime (23.5%). More male probationers (7.6%) committed a new crime than did female probationers (4.1%). (See Table 8.8.) The youngest probationers (sixteen to eighteen years old) were most likely to violate probation, either by committing a new crime (17.2%) or by using drugs (10.2%). Hispanics (12.9%) were more likely than non-Hispanics (5.4%) to violate probation by committing a new crime. Measuring by educational attainment, those with less than a high school education had the highest number of probation violations.

Probation Officers

Community corrections has a cost to the community—although it is lower than the cost of housing and feeding prisoners and providing them with health care. A major part of that cost is the employment of skilled probation officers to supervise probationers.

In 1975 the U.S. government employed 1,377 probation officers to supervise 64,261 federal probationers, a ratio of one officer per forty-seven probationers. By 2003, 4,560 officers supervised 110,621 probationers, for a ratio of about twenty-four per officer. (See Table 8.9.) The federal government was expending resources to lower the ratio of probationers to officers. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of probationers increased 10%, while officers increased by 14.5%.

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