NCJ Number
101582
Date Published
1985
Length
29 pages
Annotation
An evaluation of the alternative to revocation (ATR) program established by Wisconsin's Bureau of Community established by Wisconsin's Bureau of Community Corrections in 1980 concluded that careful use of the program can reduce the need for prison space.
Abstract
ATR applies to probation or parole violators. Violators with no history of violent offenses and with no new felony convictions are given a 3- to 4-month placement in a minimum-security institution instead of a revocation and the longer prison commitment associated with it. About 288 offenders have taken part in the program, including 241 probationers. The followup analysis considered the 151 probationers discharged from ATR placements before October 1983. Offenders in ATR placements were much younger and less likely to have prior incarcerations than were other offenders. The 36-percent failure rate of ATR participants was almost twice that of a comparison group. However, participants age 25 or older had a failure rate of only 16 percent, versus 15 percent for the comparison group of the same age. ATR made major savings in prison use. The program is especially effective for older offenders with no prior penal experience. A 3-month ATR placement has nearly the same outcome as a 17-month prison term for a probation violator. Data tables and appended tables.