Community Corrections

Presented by
DR. Umair Minhas
 Community Corrections:
Definition and Scope
Community corrections is sometimes
referred to as noninstitutional corrections.
community corrections
The subfield of corrections in which offenders are
supervised and provided services outside jail or
prison.
 Community Corrections:
Definition and Scope
Community corrections includes:
• Diversion
• Restitution
• Probation
• Parole
• Halfway houses
 Goals and Staff Roles

Community corrections has traditionally

emphasized rehabilitation as its goal.
 Goals and Staff Roles
The staff of community correctional programs
have two potentially competing roles that
reflect different goals:
1. Seeing that offenders 2. Helping offenders
comply with the orders identify and address their
of community sentences. problems and needs.
 Probation
One of the most common forms of community
correction is probation.
• Probation can be thought of as a type of
posttrial diversion from incarceration.
 probation
A sentence in which the offender, rather than being
incarcerated, is retained in the community under the
supervision of a probation agency and required to
abide by certain rules and conditions to avoid
incarceration.
 Probation
A probation agency has three fundamental
objectives:
1. Assist the court in matters pertaining to sentencing
2. Promote community protection by supervising and
monitoring the activities of persons on probation
3. Promote the betterment of offenders by ensuring
that they receive appropriate rehabilitation services
 Historical Context
The “father” of probation was John Augustus,
a Boston shoemaker.
In the 1840s, Augustus stood bail for select
offenders and promised to monitor their
activities and report to the judge.

His actions led to the first formal

probation law in 1878.
 Placement on Probation
In deciding whether an offender should be
sentenced to probation, a judge considers:
• Statute recommendations
• Structured sentencing guidelines
• Recommendations from the prosecuting and
defense attorneys

continued…
 Placement on Probation

• The offender’s freedom or detention in jail before

and during trial
• Presentence investigation report
• Characteristics of the offender and offense
 The Presentence Investigation
The main task of the presentence
investigation (PSI) is to estimate the risk the
offender presents to the community and to
determine the offender’s treatment needs.
 presentence investigation (PSI)
An investigation conducted by a probation agency or
other designated authority at the request of a court
into the past behavior, family circumstances, and
personality of an adult who has been convicted of a
crime, to assist the court in determining the most
appropriate sentence.
 The Probation Order
There are two types of probation conditions:
• Standard (general) conditions apply to all
persons on probation
• Special conditions are imposed at the
discretion of the judge and probation
officials and are designed to address the
offender’s particular situation.
 The Probation Order
In recent years it has become increasingly
common for jurisdictions to include
restitution orders as part of probation.
restitution
Money paid or services provided to victims, their
survivors, or to the community by a convicted
offender to make up for the injury inflicted.
 Termination of Probation
Ultimately, the probation agency must make
recommendations to the court about how
probation is to be terminated.
• Probationers who have generally fulfilled the
conditions of their sentences are recommended for
successful discharges.
• Probationers who have violated the conditions of
probation may be recommended for revocation.
 revocation
The repeal of a probation sentence or parole, and
substitution of a more restrictive sentence, because of
violation of probation or parole conditions.
 Termination of Probation
Revocation can be recommended for two
general categories of violations:
• Commission of new offenses
• Technical violations
 technical violations
Failure to abide by the technical rules or conditions
of probation or parole (for example, not reporting
regularly to the probation officer), as distinct from
commission of a new criminal act.
 Caseload and Recidivism
• It is not unusual for probation officers in
larger urban jurisdictions to have as many
as 200 offenders in their caseloads.
• Large caseloads have been criticized for
contributing to recidivism.
 Parole
There are two basic differences between
probation and parole:
• Parole is not a court-imposed sentence, and
• Parole is used with persons leaving prison.
 parole
A method of prison release whereby inmates are
released at the discretion of a board or other authority
before having completed their entire sentences; can
also refer to the community supervision received
upon release.
 Parole
Parole can be divided into two components:
• Parole release is the mechanism for
releasing persons from prison.
• Parole supervision is a community-based
continuation of the prison sentence.
 Administration
It is helpful to divide parole administration
into two areas:
Parole board Field service agency
• Responsible for • Responsible for
release decisions supervision in the
community
 Administration
As with probation, there are many differences
between states in the way parole is
administered, its organization, and it level of
autonomy.
 Parole Issues
Since the 1970s, discretionary parole release
has been among the most controversial issues
in criminal justice.
• Proponents argue that early release
provisions are essential for controlling
prisoners’ behavior and for containing
institutional crowding.
 Parole Issues
Several criticisms have been directed at parole
release:
• Parole undermines both retribution and
deterrence.
• Parole does not sufficiently guarantee public
safety.

continued…
 Parole Issues
• Parole is unfair because offenders with similar
sentences serve vastly different prison terms.
• Linking the degree of participation in prison
treatment programs to the possibility of early
parole amounts to subtly coercing inmates into
programs that are often of questionable
effectiveness.
 Parole Issues
Many jurisdictions have curtailed
discretionary parole release.
• Many jurisdictions moved to determinate
sentencing and increased reliance on
mandatory release.
• Some states have abolished early release by
discretion of a parole board for all
offenders.
 Intermediate Sanctions
Recent dramatic increases in prison, parole,
and probation populations have forced
community corrections to accommodate
growing numbers of offenders.
The field has also seen a decline in support for
rehabilitation, and a growth in the trend
toward intermediate sanctions.
 intermediate sanctions
Sanctions that, in restrictiveness and punitiveness, lie
between traditional probation and traditional
imprisonment or, alternatively, between
imprisonment and traditional parole.
 Intensive-Supervision
Probation and Parole (ISP)
One intermediate sanction is intensive-
supervision probation and parole (ISP).
intensive-supervision probation and parole (ISP)
An alternative to incarceration that provides stricter
conditions, closer supervision, and more treatment
services than traditional probation and parole.
 Day Reporting Centers
One relatively new facet of the intermediate-
sanction movement is day reporting centers.
day reporting centers
Facilities that are designed for offenders who would
otherwise be in prison or jail and that require
offenders to report regularly to confer with staff
about supervision and treatment matters.
Structured Fines, or Day Fines
Another relatively new intermediate sanction
is structured fines or day fines.

structured fines or day fines

Fines that are based on defendants’ ability to pay.
 Home Confinement and
Electronic Monitoring
Home confinement is also known as home
incarceration, home detention, and house
arrest.

Home confinement is usually considered more

punitive than ISP, but is often used in
conjunction with ISP.
 home confinement
A program that requires offenders to remain in their
homes except for approved periods of absence;
commonly used in combination with electronic
monitoring.
 Halfway Houses
The goal of halfway houses is to provide
offenders with a temporary period of highly
structured and supportive living so that they
will be better prepared to function
independently in the community upon
discharge.
 halfway houses
Community-based residential facilities that are less
secure and restrictive than prison or jail but provide a
more controlled environment than other community
correctional programs.
Procedures of Functions of
Probation and Parole System in
Pakistan
Probation Procedures
The Probation of Offenders Ordinance (1960), Section 5 empowers
Judiciary/courts to place certain offenders on probation not more than 3 years
who are eligible for release on probation. After release of offenders on
probation, the Reclamation and Probation (R&P) department in the province is
to supervise, monitor and rehabilitate them in community. Probation and
parole officer plays the key role in the whole process of probation system from
release of offenders to successful rehabilitation.

The Courts empowered to release offenders on probation;

1.High Court
2. Sessions Court
3. Judicial Magistrate 1st class
4. Any other Magistrate specially empowered in this regard
5. Determination of offender's suitability for release on probation entirely rests
with the judiciary
Social Investigation Report (SIR)
After hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the defence, if the Court feels the case
fit for probation, then it orders the Probation Officer to submit SIR that includes the
following information about the offender likely to be released on probation
1. Character
2. Antecedents
3. Commission and nature of offence
4. Home surroundings and other circumstances
Functions of the Probation Officer
The Probation of Offenders Ordinance (1960), Section 10 describes the duties of Probation
Officer after release of offender on probation:
1. Explain to every probationer placed under his charge, the terms and conditions of the
Probation order made in respect of such probationer, and if so deemed necessary, by
warnings, endeavour to ensure their observance by the probationer;
2. In the first two months of probation of every probationer under his charge, meet the
probationer at least once in a fortnight, and thereafter, subject to the provisions of the
Officer in Charge, keep in close touch with the probationer, meet him frequently, make
enquiries into his conduct, mode of life and environments, and wherever practicable, visit
his home from time to time;
3 If any probationer under his charge be out of employment, endeavour to find
suitable employment for him and assist, befriend, advise and strive to improve his
conduct and general conditions of living;
4. Encourage every probationer placed under his supervision to make use of any
recognized agency, statutory or voluntary, which might contribute towards his
welfare and general well-being, and to take advantage of the social, recreational
and educational facilities which such agencies might provide;
5. Where a probationer under his supervision, who has executed a bond, with
sureties under section 5, is found to have committed any breach of the terms of
his bond, or to have otherwise misconducted himself, to bring such breach or
misconduct to the notice of his sureties;
6. Maintain the books and registers and submit reports prescribed under these
rules; and
7. Subject to the provisions of these rules; carry out the instructions of the Court
in regard to any probationer placed by the Court under his supervision.
Parole Procedures
Good Conduct Prisoners' Probation Release Act, (1926) empowers the Executive (Home
Secretary) of the province to release certain offenders on parole who are eligible to be
released on parole. This is commonly known as conditional release on parole. This act
provides the release of chance offenders with good antecedents and prison record with a
view to remove them from the society of hardened criminals in jails. They are to be
engaged in suitable environments under the supervision of Parole officer of the R&P
department in their respective province. The parolees are employed with approved
employers of R&P department on fixed wages and under specific terms and conditions.
Selection of Prisoners eligible for Parole Release
The cases of prisoners who are likely to be released on parole may be taken up by the
Assistant Director R&P department in the following ways
· On application of the prisoner
· On application of the relative or friend of the prisoner
· On recommendation of the Superintendent of jail
· The Assistant Director and Parole Officer visit jail for selection of prisoner suitability
to be released on parole
Functions of the Parole Officer
• Supervision and rehabilitation of offenders placed on Parole
• Visit jails and arranges interview of good conduct prisoners with the
Assistant
Director R&P department
• Consult history tickets, remission sheets, warrants etc of prisoners
• Assists Prison administration in preparation of rolls of selected prisoners for
parole release
• Receive prisoners on parole, finds their suitable employment, solve
problems
Periodically pay visits to parolees, collect wages and submit reports to the
• Assistant Director R&P about parole work and process any complaint
• the duties of Parole officers are assigned to Probation officers in many
districts of Pakistan as there is shortage of Parole staff in R&P department
of each province