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Probation And Its Various Forms Research Paper

Probation and its various forms: According to the official government website by Prince William County (PWC), Virginia, probation is a sanction ordered by courts that "…allows a person to remain in the community under the supervision of a probation officer." The probation sentence could also include time in jail, a financial penalty, community service, and other sanctions (PWC). There are several kinds of probation, including: a) unsupervised probation (this is generally only available for very petty crimes); b) supervised probation (this requires regular contact with a probation officer and includes specific rules -- no alcohol, etc. -- that must be adhered to); c) community control (in this case the person on probation may be under house arrest and/or have ankle monitoring); and d) shock probation (the judge in this case may put the probationer in prison just to shock him, then release him on probation) (LaMance, 2012).

Probation and recidivism: A report by the Justice Strategies group shows that in 2006, nationwide, 18% of people who exited probation were "…incarcerated due to failure...

iv). The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) presents data that show (in 2011) "…Two-thirds (66%) of probationers competed their terms of supervision or were discharged early during 2011, about the same percentage as in 2010." The BJS reports that 5.5% of probationers "…at risk of failing were incarcerated at some point during 2011," and that is the same rate of recidivism as in 2010 (BJS).
Types of offenders suited for probation: It appears that the offenders who are convicted of petty crimes (theft, DUI, pickpockets, receiving stolen goods, illegal breaking and entry, minor drug offenses, etc.) -- especially those arrested for the first time -- are best suited for probation. They were not violent and they did not use weapons or threaten harm to anyone. They should get a second chance to prove they can abide by the law.

Types of offenders not suited for probation: these would include violent criminals, rapists, drug smugglers, repeat felons, those using weapons in a robbery, those committing homicides, terrorists and others guilty of serious…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2012). One in 34 U.S. Adults Under Correctional Supervision in

2011, Lowest Rate Since 2000. Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/cpus11ppus11pr.cfm.

Katz, Joanne, and Bonham, Gene. (2004). Effective Alternatives to Incarceration: Police

Collaborations with Corrections and Communities. U.S. Department of Justice, retrieved
January 28, 2013, from: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov.
2013, from http://www.legalmatch.com.
Prince William County. (2013). What is Probation? Retrieved January 28, 2013, from http://www.pwcgov.org.
Initiatives. Justice Strategies. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from http://www.justicestrategies.net.
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