Community Supervision essay
Community supervision is an effective method to keep offenders out of custody, but at the same time, help them to improve their behavior, social views and become socially advantageous. As offenses/ or crimes are divided into two major categories: violent crimes and minor crimes, community supervision can be viewed as the best way to address the offenses when offenders are not put behind bars. Instead, they are put on probation, parole or other alternatives to custody (Mair, 2013). It is wrong to incarcerate people, whose crimes are not violent enough; therefore more flexible alternatives punishments are available across the United States. Currently, many offenders on probation or parole are assigned to intensive supervision probation/parole programs (Cole et al., 2014). Community supervision can be viewed as an effective strategy to punish the offenders convicted of some minor crimes. This strategy guarantees changes in the lifestyles, behaviors and values of offenders through effective treatment programs, control and punishment.
The major goal of this paper is to analyze community supervision, such as probation, parole, other alternatives to custody, and discuss why keeping offenders out of custody is beneficial.
Analysis of community supervision as an alternative to custody
Community supervision can be defined as an effective form of punishment that guarantees considerable changes in offenders’ lifestyles, behaviors and values. In fact, community supervision is based on the proper control and effective coordination of services to address the needs of offenders who are convicted of some minor crimes (Mair, 2013). There are three major purposes of community supervision, including treatment, control and punishment. Today there are “4.8 million of American offenders under community supervision” (Cole et al., 2014, p. 587). In order to have a better understanding of the nature of community supervision as an alternative to custody, it is necessary to refer to different forms of community-based supervision, including probation, parole and intensive supervision probation/parole. As a rule, offenders under community supervision may be either on probation or parole (Cole et al., 2014). The difference between probation and parole is obvious. Probation can be viewed as a sentence that is offered as an alternative to go to prison, while parole is an early release from prison that is an alternative to remaining in prison (Cole et al., 2014).
Probation as an alternative to custody
Probation is an alternative to custody. According to researchers, probation has its roots in the use of a more humane and effective methods aimed at dealing with the problems of offenders in social context (Alarid & Carmen, 2010). Probation as the form of community supervision is based on surveillance and monitoring of the offender’s behavior, providing assistance in finding a job and other aspects of social involvement. In general, probation is considered to be the most widely used method of punishment for juveniles involved in criminal activity and convicted on some minor crimes. People with sentences, including juveniles, women and aboriginal people, have a chance to live in the community setting under the rules established by the judge and under the supervision of the assigned probation officer.
Parole as an alternative to custody
Parole is considered to be another alternative to custody. According to researchers, the idea of a sentence that can serve as an alternative to custody involves the concept of parole, in which “prisoners are released early and subject to probation supervision” (Mair, 2013, p. 163). Parole programs involve rehabilitation methods that help to establish the proper conditions for offenders and provide the proper control. Parole, as an administrative decision, allows an offender to serve time in the community and enhance behavior through effective programs (Cole et al., 2014). If the parolee violates the established conditions of community supervision, he/she should be returned to prison. According to the statistical data, about 40 % of parolees are returned to incarceration because of the violations of community supervision requirements (Cole et al., 2014).
Intensive supervision probation/parole
Intensive supervision probation/parole is an improved method of supervision that “subjects offenders to closer surveillance, more conditions, and more treatment exposure than regular probationers and parolees” (Alarid & Carmen, 2010, p. 209). This form of community supervision was developed for high risk offenders who require more intensive community sentence. At the same time, intensive supervision probation/parole helps to enhance rehabilitation efforts through increased social involvement and contact. According to researchers, it is a “viable alternative to incarceration” (Alarid & Carmen, 2010, p. 209).
In addition, intensive supervision probation/parole was developed as the enhanced form of release into the community focused on the intermediate sanctions that are aimed at the expansion of existing “sentencing options beyond prison and traditional probation/parole” (Petersilia & Turner, 1993). In fact, most intensive supervision probation/parole programs involve the following procedures: multiple weekly contacts with the assigned supervising officer; “random and unannounced drug testing”; strict enforcement of the established probation/parole conditions; participation in the proper treatment, finding a job, and performing community services (Alarid & Carmen, 2010; Petersilia & Turner, 1993).
Violation of community supervision
In case a person under community supervision violates the established conditions imposed on him/her by the court, he/she should be punished. Community supervision officers should respond quickly to improper behavior. Their responses depend on the seriousness of the offender’s behavior. In other words, the noncompliant behavior of offenders requires imposing sanctions (Alarid & Carmen, 2010; Mair, 2013). The widely used methods include issuing verbal and written warnings. Besides, probation and parole officers may require the offender to be involved in intensive treatment programs or they may increase the intensity of supervision practices, such as drug testing (Mair, 2013).
The benefits of keeping offenders out of custody
There are certain benefits of keeping offenders out of custody. Community supervision is a form of community custody, which addresses the needs of offenders who need treatment that can be properly delivered in the community setting. The priority for community supervision constitutes the offenders who need community-based treatment, e.g. drug treatment programs (Cole et al., 2014). This fact means, community supervision is beneficial as it gives an opportunity to improve the lifestyles of many people who need community-based treatment, leading to lower rate of arrests in the future (Alarid & Carmen, 2010). According to researchers, community supervision is the best form of punishment for aboriginal offenders because they are less likely to be incarcerated than non-aboriginal offenders who are convicted of more violent crimes (Alarid & Carmen, 2010; Petersilia & Turner, 1993).
Moreover, community supervision helps to facilitate economic condition of states regarding the expenses for prisons. In other words, community supervision is cheaper than imprisonment. According to Merry Morash (2010), “incarceration drains state and federal resources and disrupts communities and families” (p. 4). For example, many states fail to increase funding for schools, hospitals and other institutions and improve various social programs because of considerable incarceration costs.
Besides, offenders convicted for minor crimes experience negative effects of incarceration on their lifestyles, habits and health conditions. According to Merry Morash (2010), “the close quarters within prisons and jails promote ties among lawbreakers”(p. 4). Prisons have negative effect on family relations, leading to divorces. Moreover, prisons may cut offenders’ links to various community resources, making them antisocial (Morash, 2010).
Initially, community supervision was a sentencing option that could not only protect citizens, but also inflict the proper punishment on offenders. Community supervision strategies are control-oriented, including “risk screening, intensive supervision, electronic monitoring and drug-use testing” (Morash, 2010, p. 345). Today community supervision conducted through probation, parole, intermediate sanctions and other alternatives to custody has become a growing part of the criminal justice system (Mair, 2013).
Conclusion
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that community supervision, such as probation, parole, and other alternatives to custody can be used to keep offenders out of custody, providing a wide range of benefits. Community supervision helps to reduce the cost of incarceration and other negative effects. Today federal and state officials and policymakers are focused on the promotion of community supervision in order to keep offenders out of prisons and to provide assistance after incarceration. Generally speaking, community supervision helps to reduce prison crowding, eliminate the expenses for prisons and jails, and enhance family relations and social support. These factors mean that keeping offenders convicted of minor crimes out of custody is beneficial.
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