Probation's Responses to Fiscal Constraints (From Community Corrections: A Community Field Approach, P 165-184, 1990, David E Duffee and Edmund F McGarrell, eds. -- See NCJ-121217)

• NCJ Number: 121223
• Author(s): N Harlow; E K Nelson
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 20 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Corrections
• Sale Source: Anderson Publishing Co
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Revised version of material excerpted from the authors' "Management Strategies for Probation in an Era of Limits."

Annotation

Strategies that probation managers have used in recent years to address fiscal constraints are the formalization of the classification process, the substitution of workload measures for caseload measures, the use of alternatives to regular supervision, and the streamlining of the presentence investigation process.

Abstract

Field experience suggests that cost savings can be achieved if classification is used to screen out a significant proportion of probationers from active supervision. The increased equity, accountability, and control over resource use associated with systematic classification are also important values for public service agencies in an era of fiscal limits. Workload measures make explicit the assumptions that underlie resource allocation decisions and budget requests, thus encouraging a more responsible and responsive budget allocation process. Lower cost alternatives to regular supervision include diversion, conditional discharge, fines, and restitution/community work. Also, any alternatives that ensure offenders "pay for" their crimes can enhance the public image of probation as an instrument of justice. Field experience with the streamlining of the presentence process suggests that costs associated with report preparation time can be reduced with little or no adverse effect on the quality of service to the courts. Discussion questions.