NCJ Number
93997
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 48 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1984) Pages: 32-35
Date Published
1984
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Alabama's Supervised Intensive Restitution (SIR) program is a nonresidential treatment program that combines punitive freedom restrictions with restitutional requirements and the work ethic.
Abstract
Carefully screened and selected State inmates at county jails awaiting transfer to a prison or those jails awaiting transfer to a prison or those already located in an institution are diverted to the program. The field SIR officers orient both the selected inmate and the sponsoring family to the expected behavior required of the inmate. Four face-to-face contacts with the SIR officer are required of the offender as well as two job visits. A 10 p.m. curfew is enforced. Payment of weekly supervision fees adds another enforced contact. A 40-hour workweek is mandatory, either on a paid job or a voluntary community service work project. The program has three phases or levels of supervision. Upon initial placement to the program (phase 1), the offender is intensively supervised for at least 3 months. When the offender demonstrates that less supervision is permissible, phase 2 is begun, consisting of two face-to-face contacts and one weekly employment verification. The curfew is extended to 11:00 p.m. In phase 3, the job site is visited weekly; home visits and employment verification are conducted monthly, and the curfew may be relaxed completely for an exceptional client. Typically, 2 officers will have a caseload of 50 inmates in a given urban area. The program has been significantly less costly than residential work release, and of the over 800 offenders assigned to SIR since its inception, 76 percent are still participating successfully, while just over 5 percent have been released. Slightly less than 19 percent have been returned to an institution.