NCJ Number
190481
Journal
Crime & Delinquency Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 537-557
Date Published
October 2001
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article examined the rates and timing of technical violations versus new criminal offenses that probationers committed while under probation supervision.
Abstract
Although much has been written about probation recidivism, studies have primarily focused on rates of recidivism and the characteristics of probationers who succeed or fail. Few studies have examined the types or seriousness of violations that probationers commit while on probation. This article examined the rates and timing of technical violations versus new criminal offenses that probationers committed while under probation supervision. It also examined factors related to the commission of these two types of violations. Findings indicated that most probation violations were technical, and a significant proportion were committed during the first 3 months of probation. Few probationers commit new crimes while on probation, and they were often committed later in the probation period. Findings also revealed that certain characteristics of probationers (minority, less educated, prior drug use) were predictive of early technical violations and other characteristics (unemployed, previous misdemeanor convictions, committed for assaultive crimes, more technical violations) were predictive of new criminal violations. Tables, figures, notes, references