Probation
CJS/230
May 8, 2011
Probation is a type of sentence for criminal defendants. Probation allows a convicted defendant to go free with a suspended sentence for a specified duration during good behavior. Probationers are placed under the supervision of a probation officer and must fulfill certain conditions. If the probationer violates a condition of probation, the court may place additional restrictions on the probationer or order the probationer to serve a term of imprisonment. Probation is normally for offenders sentenced to short terms in jail: it is not combined with a long prison sentence. legal dictionary)
Unsupervised, supervised, and intensive are the three types of probation. Intensive probationers are required to report daily to a probation officer and most times has an electronic monitoring system or they are on house arrest. Supervised probationers report to a probation officer once a month. Unsupervised probationers must follow the guidelines but do not have to report to a probation officer. Certain violent criminals and repeat offenders are not eligible for probation according to the statutory restrictions most states use to determine eligibility.
Offenders placed on probation are subject to required conditions. There are standard conditions which all probationers have. Standard conditions include reporting to the probation office, reporting change of address, being employed, and not leaving the jurisdiction without permission. Punitive conditions are set to reflect the seriousness of the offense and make probation a little more painful. Examples of punitive conditions are fines, community service, victim restitution, house arrest, and drug testing. Treatment conditions make probationers deal with problems or needs, like substance abuse, family counseling, or vocational training
( Corrections: The Fundamentals)
In the probation process a crime is committed and the offender is sentenced to probation. The second is the
References: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/probation retrieved on May 8, 2011 http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/sfprc.pdf retrieved on May 8, 2011 http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=15 retrieved on May 8, 2011 http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=1138 retrieved on May 8, 2011 Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.