NCJ Number
125498
Date Published
1990
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This report discusses the intermediate punishment options under probation and parole in Texas that serve as a structured set of sanctions in lieu of revocation and return to prison.
Abstract
Following an overview of Texas statutes that regulate sentencing and revocation policies in Texas, the report examines the intermediate sanction programs of probation and parole. A range of sanctions exist for probation in Texas. While on probation, an offender may move up or down the ladder of sanctions depending on the probationer's behavior. An offender who does not comply with probation conditions will be place on more restrictive supervision levels or be placed in a residential facility. Probation conditions also may change as the offender moves through the continuum, with an increase in supervision enhancements occurring for offenders who violate probation conditions. Supervision enhancements include electronic monitoring, urinalysis, community service restitution, work probation, and day reporting centers. Short-term imprisonment may also be used for probation violations. A spectrum of sanctions has been developed to provide parole officers with mechanisms to enforce parole conditions short of revocation and commitment to prison. Intermediate parole sanctions include various treatment programs, enhanced and intensified supervision, and residential placement. The research to evaluate the efficacy of intermediate sanctions is currently lacking both in Texas and nationwide. 17 notes.