Rehabilitation or Revocation: Exploring the Probation Paradox

• In Event: Courts, Punishment, and Mass Incarceration

Abstract

Abstract:
Probation is the most popular criminal justice outcome in America with over 3 million Americans on probation on any given day. Yet, it is significantly understudied compared to other forms of sentencing such as jail and prison. This is particularly troublesome given that probation revocations are one of the leading drivers of jail admissions, thus creating a paradox in which the policy designed to avoid incarceration becomes one of its key contributors. In this study, we analyze 12 years of data from one large northeast urban county that has provided us access to all probation records including how conditions of probation are decided, assigned, and enforced. We assess gender and racial differences in the ability to meet such conditions and successfully finish periods of probation. Our findings are important for gaining a deeper perspective into this key component of American criminal justice.

Authors

• Megan Kurlychek, Pennsylvania State University

• Jordan Zvonkovich, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing