An Intensive Supervision Program That Worked: Service Delivery, Professional Orientation, and Organizational Supportiveness

Abstract

This study examined the effect of treatment services, organizational supportiveness, and parole officer orientation on parolee recidivism. The sample consisted of 240 parolees enrolled in an intensive surveillance supervision program and 240 parolees undergoing traditional parole supervision. The participants were high-risk/high-need parolees. Three measures of parolee recidivism were used: (a) technical parole violation, (b) new conviction, and (c) revocation. These measures were examined by level of treatment services, organizational supportiveness, and the law enforcement/treatment orientation of intensive surveillance supervision program parole officers of which there were three classifications: (a) law enforcement, (b) balanced, and (c) social casework. The data support the view that intensive supervision programs that (a) provide more treatment to higher risk offenders, (b) employ parole officers with balanced law enforcement/social casework orientations, and (c) are implemented in supportive organizational environments may reduce recidivism from 10% to 30% depending on the comparisons being made.