Due April 29th, 2024
Welcome to your Unit 4 Real World Research. Last one!
This week we will be covering Probation. The reason I picked probation is that there seems to be a little bit of misperception on probation and we’ll find out whether it actually works!
Probation is a sentence of community supervision for a set period of time given instead of incarceration. Generally speaking, it’s a type of criminal sentence done without serving time in a prison or jail.
The offender is usually given a prison sentence, but then that sentence is ‘suspended’ during the term of probation. The offender is overseen by a probation officer and must display good behavior during the probation period. Probation usually comes with several requirements that will be unique to the offender. For example, a drug offender might be required to complete a drug treatment program and submit to regular urinalysis tests to ensure he or she remains drug-free. Most probationers are required to check in regularly with their probation officers, and all are required to refrain from further criminal behavior while on probation.
Where did probation come from?
Navigate to and answer the following; https://www1.nyc.gov/site/probation/about/history-of-probation.page
# 1 Security for good behavior also known as?
# 2 Who is the Father of Probation and what offense was the first probationer accused of?
#3 As a result of his success, when was the first probation statute enacted?
Probation was such a success that every state started their own programs and it spread like wild fire.
Navigate to and answer the following;
https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/probation-and-parole-united-states-2020
# 4 As of 2020 how many people in the US were on some sort of community supervision?
Lets take a local look on these numbers.
Navigate to and answer the following;
https://oklahoma.gov/doc/offender-info/weekly-count.html
Go to the newest weekly count in 2022. A data sheet will pop up. Look for the “community supervision offenders” and
# 5 Report the Grand Total of Oklahomans on Probation.
Take a look around at the stats, you might find it interesting; I found it interesting that we currently have more people on probation than we currently do serving in Prison!
So lots and lots of people on Probation, would the Father of Probation be proud? Does our current system of probation work?
To compare, the Father of Probation had 1,946 people as a probation officer over 18 years with only 10 who forfeited their bond or failed probation. That’s an incredible success rate of less than 1 %!
Navigate to and answer the following;
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/09/probation-and-parole-systems-marked-by-high-stakes-missed-opportunities
#6 Read the article then scroll to graphs 5 and 6 and tell me what you think about the effectiveness of probation today in 3-5 sentences.
