Since 2019, Indiana University and the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department have served as an Action Research Team to participate in the Reducing Revocations Challenge from Arnold Ventures and City University of New York Institute for State and Local Governance. The challenge intends to create a deeper understanding of the factors and behaviors that contribute to revoked probations.
Researchers used multiple methods to identify how and why probations were revoked, completing systematic reviews of supervision policy and procedures. They analyzed administrative records for more than 4,300 clients ordered to probation in Monroe County, Indiana, between 2014 and 2019.
Findings indicate that Monroe County’s violation and revocation rates are shaped by client characteristics—which precede court decisions of probation supervision sentences—and multifaceted combinations of client, probation officer, and system behaviors while clients are under supervision.
Probation revocation in Monroe County by the numbers
17%Overall revocation rate in Monroe County from 2014–2019
14.8Average length of supervision (in months)
43%Percentage of probation clients who received a formal petition to revoke their supervision
65%Percentage of clients who were deemed noncompliant at least once during their supervision term
Key findings
- Black clients are 2.5 times more likely than white clients to have a violation filed with the court (i.e., formal documentation that rules of probation have been broken) but no more likely to have their probation revoked and be sent to jail.
- New offenses are the most prominent driver of revocation and violation rates, followed by failing to appear for appointments and failing drug screens.
- The use of incentives by probation officers reduces clients’ rates of revocation.
- Females are less likely to receive a formal petition to revoke or a revocation order.
Recommendations
- Target high-risk clients to experiment with innovative supervision strategies.
- Reexamine the content of text/call reminders for court hearings and probation appointments to determine if there are opportunities to redesign message content or message sequences to improve client comprehension of scheduled information.
- Monitor whether probation officers consistently conduct motivational interviews and apply core community correctional principles in their work.
- Pilot different training boosters to reinforce the quantity and quality of incentives delivered by probation officers.
- Examine the use and validity of risk assessment tools when applied to local probation populations. Cultivate needs- or strengths-based case plans and supervision strategies informed by assessments.
