NCJ Number
165253
Date Published
1996
Length
74 pages
Annotation
The status of California's county adult probation system was examined by means of a survey of each county regarding their caseloads, resources, alternative sanctions, and other topics.
Abstract
Responses came from 49 of California's 58 counties. These counties represent approximately 97 percent of California's population. Results revealed that probation departments are increasingly placing sentenced offenders in a new form of unsupervised probation called banked caseloads rather than using more traditional methods of supervision. The statewide average is 629 offenders per probation officer. In addition, county probation and sheriffs departments generally lack the resources and staff to actively supervise most sentenced offenders in non-jail probationary settings. Caseloads are as high as 3,000 offenders per probation offer. Moreover, alternative sanction programs such as electronic monitoring are limited and of varying effectiveness. Furthermore, probation departments generally lack automated offender information systems that are integrated with other county criminal justice agencies and courts. Finally, in 1994, approximately 1 in 7 adult probationers in California had probation revoked, compared with a national average of 1 in 10. Figures, tables, appended additional findings, reference notes, and 21 references