NCJ Number
91632
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 46 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1983) Pages: 33-41
Date Published
1983
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This report presents evaluation findings on the Administrative Caseload Project (ACLP), a Federal project in Pennsylvania that sought to reduce probation caseload size by assigning low-risk offenders to minimum supervision.
Abstract
Under the ACLP, minimum probation supervision consists of a monthly written report from the probationer, periodic phone contact, and crisis intervention. Precise selection criteria are used to select low-risk offenders for the program. The evaluation research design combined quasi and nonexperimental aspects. The data came from project files covering the period from June 1, 1979-June 30, 1981. During this period, 188 clients were accepted into the project, and 93 of these cases had their probation period terminated. Eighty-two cases were rejected or excluded from project entry. An additional group of cases classified as low-risk and under general supervision in 1982 were selected at random for comparative purposes. Data indicate that the project did focus on the clientele it intended to serve and that exclusions were made on the basis of the client's suitability for the project. A decline in the number of cases independent of project operations prevented a determination of whether the project had any impact upon caseload size. The project did deliver services consistent with the definition of minimum supervision, and the project clientele appeared satisfied with the level of supervision provided. A comparison of the recidivism rates of ACLP cases and those rejected from the program shows a low rate of between 2 and 3 percent for both groups, suggesting that those originally rejected from the project might have proven successful under minimum supervision. Tabular data and seven references are provided.