Comparing Intensive and Regular Supervision for High-Risk Probationers: Early Results from an Experiment in California

Abstract

This article reports on the six-month outcomes of a randomized experiment testing the effects of Intensive Supervision Programs (ISPs) in three California Counties (Contra Costa, Ventura, and Los Angeles). The findings show that ISP officers were able to intensify the monitoring of ISP offenders but were less successful at increasing services (e.g., counseling, employment) provided to clients. The program outcomes in Los Angeles and Contra Costa show that offenders on ISP were significantly more likely than their counterparts on regular probation to incur technical violations but were not more likely to incur new arrests or incarcerations. In Ventura, in which the control program was a different type of ISP, no differences were evident in any outcome measure. The article discusses the implications of these findings for the future of Intensive Supervision programs.