Community Corrections

The Georgia Department of Corrections had a problem with probation two years ago. It was upside down, with the majority of officers managing the probationers who were least likely to reoffend.  Of the 105,000 offenders on active probation in Georgia, more than 80,000 of them are deemed low risk and not likely to reoffend. They had to find a more efficient way to handle the high volume of low-risk offenders to free up more officers to provide better case management for higher risk offenders. Technology was the key.

Ten states with the greatest potential cost savings could save more than $470 million a year if they reduced recidivism rates by 10 percent, according to the Pew Center on the States.  That was a message in December as Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress, representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, and teams of policymakers and corrections officials from all 50 states gathered to discuss how the federal government can work in partnership with states to reduce recidivism.

The average probation and parole officer in North Carolina manages a caseload of nearly 70 offenders. The officers have  to visit each offender at home, and make sure offenders are regularly tested for drugs, make court appearances and ensure they haven’t committed additional crimes. The sheer number of offenders in each caseload made that a daunting task. The Probation/Parole Officers Dashboard, one of this year’s Innovations Winners for the Southern region, has made that task a lot less daunting.