These three correctional elements are contingently administered. Thus, based on the nature of the offense and the offender's compliance with the rules of the ISP, the counseling and punitive and supervisory constraints are gradually reduced over the 18-month program. Data on 554 offenders who entered the program by December 31, 1985 showed that 58 percent had graduated by December 1988. In addition, 40 percent had been returned to prison because of violations, often drug law violations were detected by urinalysis. Thus, the program discovers misconduct that would be undetected under ordinary probation or parole supervision. Comparison with a similar group who were sentenced before the program began and who served ordinary prison terms followed by ordinary parole showed that a significantly lower percentage of the ISP participants had an arrest leading to conviction at the end of 2 years. Cost estimates also indicated that the program saved about $7,000 to $8,000 per offender compared with ordinary terms of incarceration and parole. Participants also had more employment and earnings than other offenders. The program is currently being expanded. Figures, table, and 6 references (Author abstract modified)
Contingent Intermediate Sentences: New Jersey's Intensive Supervision Program
NCJ Number
132921
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 36 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1990) Pages: 75-86
Date Published
1989
Length
12 pages
Annotation
New Jersey's Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) is an intermediate sanction that provides substantially higher levels of punishment, supervision, and counseling than are provided under ordinary probation or parole.
Abstract