Automated Kiosks Can Help Community Supervision Agencies Manage High Caseloads of Low-risk Clients

• NCJ Number: 250555
• Date Published: January 2017
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-IJ-CX-0010
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Evaluation; Grants and Funding

Annotation

This fact sheet promotes automated kiosks as a cost-efficient, effective support in managing low-risk offenders.

Abstract

This promotion is based on research funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) that examined whether automated kiosks could effectively support the work of community-supervision officials in managing low-risk clients. The study determined that client reporting through automated kiosks can assist community-supervision agencies manage high caseloads of low-risk clients more efficiently and without adverse public safety consequences. This enables agencies to redirect resources to the supervision of higher-risk clients with greater needs. Based on the data collected, the study recommends that agencies interested in kiosk reporting consider the experience of other agencies that have kiosk reporting, decide on several features of the system, and estimate the start-up and ongoing costs of those features. In order to implement an automated kiosk reporting system, the study identified two critical factors: the alignment of kiosk reporting requirements with client risk level, location, hours of kiosk operation, and the integration of kiosk reporting data with an agency's case management system. Preliminary cost data from the study indicate kiosk reporting can be substantially less costly than traditional reporting to officers. Costs of telephone reporting with interactive voice response are even lower than kiosk reporting. Analysis of outcomes showed little to no difference in important outcomes for those on probation, including probation violations, rearrest, and successful probation completion for low-risk offenders. Researchers used administrative data - intake, violation, and discharge records - from agencies and compared kiosk reporting outcomes to conventional probation reporting procedures. Online access to the "Kiosk Supervision" guidebook is provided.