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Applegate, B. K., Smith, H. P., Sitren, A. H., & Fariello Springer, N. (2008). From the Inside: The Meaning of Probation to Probationers. Criminal Justice Review, 34(1), 80–95. doi:10.1177/0734016808325036

Abstract

Beyond considerations of relative punitiveness, very little is known about how offenders understand the experience of serving a probation sentence. The current study surveyed offenders currently on probation to assess the extent to which they believed their sentence was rehabilitative, incapacitative, deserved, and a deterrent to future offending. Perceptions that probation served no purpose and that it represented a game of manipulation and impression management were also investigated. The results showed that most probationers believed that their sentence was a deterrent, and it was rehabilitative and deserved. They also felt that probation served multiple purposes, and a minority of respondents perceived that there was no point to being on probation. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Hamilton, Z. K., & Campbell, C. M. (2013). A Dark Figure of Corrections: Failure by Way of Participation. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 40(2), 180–202. doi:10.1177/0093854812464219

Abstract

Given recent fiscal issues and the continual struggle to reduce the nation’s overuse of incarceration, a renewed focus has been placed on the efforts of community corrections and alternative sanctions. Halfway houses represent a common and, until recently, infrequently evaluated intervention for inmates returning to the community. Although the model has advanced over the years, often providing an array of treatments and services, scant research has examined the impact such programs have on participants’ success in the community. These and other interventions like them, although providing a needed service, create additional avenues for failure and recidivism. However, failures that result in a return to prison are rarely disentangled, representing a “dark figure” of corrections. The current study explores failure types, prevalence, and competing risk predictors for a sample (N = 580) of halfway house participants. Findings both explore and describe the added and varying risks associated with participation community corrections interventions.

Matthews, J. (2009). `People first: Probation officer perspectives on probation work’ -- A practitioner’s response. Probation Journal, 56(1), 61–67. doi:10.1177/0264550509102653

Abstract

This article is a response to Jill Annison, Tina Eadie and Charlotte Knight's article `People First: Probation officer perspectives on probation work' published in the September 2008 edition of Probation Journal. The authors compared three studies that explored the reasons why individuals chose probation as a career, the views and experiences of staff at a range of levels of experience, and the career trajectories of DipPS graduates. The article argued that individuals enter probation in order to work with people and that this element of the work continues to provide the most satisfaction for staff.