Community supervision, such as probation and parole, is beneficial in lowering the fiscal impact of prisons and reducing overcrowding while helping people reintegrate into society. While community supervision has been considered an effective way to tackle prison populations, new data shows that parole and probation might be having adverse effects. A concerning reality of the probation and parole violations effects on prison populations has been discovered in a new analysis provided by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center. These numbers are taken from corrections and community supervision leaders in 50 states and develops the first thorough look into the effects of these violations.
In 2017 there were a total of 590,234 admissions, 45% of which were due to technical violations or new offenses of probation or parole. A technical violation is misconduct by a person under supervision that by itself is not considered a criminal offense and usually does not result in an arrest. These include failing to report for an appointment with a supervision officer, failing a drug test, missing a curfew, contacting a victim, or lack of employment. Technical violations are responsible for nearly 1/4 of all state prison admissions, which can result in very hefty fees. Nearly 280,000 people are incarcerated on any given day in result of a supervision violation, costing states over $9.3 billion annually.
TRACKTech™ is working to reduce these violations by making it easier for supervisors and offenders to better communicate and avoid technical violations. Our products help with the rehabilitative process and making sure program members do not violate their parameters, continually check-in remotely with officers through biometric verification and have the ability to video conference with supervisors. They are constantly sent calendar reminders for appointments, court dates, meetings with supervisors and various other needs to alleviate the excuse of forgetting or not knowing the offender had them scheduled. Rehabilitative support is provided in an array of assessments and can suggest targeted therapeutic materials to the program member, while also aiding with obtaining employment and attending community groups. With TRACktech, supervisors can keep their program members under better supervision and reduce the risk of them receiving technical violations for controllable reasons.