Examining the Impact of Earned Time and Work Credits on Supervision Outcomes

• In Event: Probation Reform: Through Legislation and Agency Action

Abstract

In 2022, for the first time since 2008, the probation population increased in the United States (Kaeble, 2024). On one hand, probation can be viewed as an alternative to incarceration that can connect individuals to needed services. On the other hand, however, probation can be viewed as “part of the continuum of excessive penal control” (Doherty, 2016) that can lead to net widening. Individuals on probation face a host of demands and restrictions, financial obligations, and the constant threat of incarceration, as confinement can be used as a sanction for violating probation conditions. In fact, recent estimates indicate that individuals revoked from probation for a technical violation make up 11% of all prison admissions (Phelps, 2020). In response to a growing concern surrounding the negative effects of probation, a handful of states have passed laws to decrease the reach of probation and instead provide individuals a path forward to reduce their probation sentence. This study uses data from one state with recently enacted legislation to examine the impact of instituting earned time and work credits on supervision outcomes.

Authors

• Chase Lacy Montagnet, RTI International

• Pam Lattimore, RTI International