Although fewer release decisions are being made by parole boards, the great majority of returning prisoners is still subject to some period of postprison supervision in the community. (This is not the case for jail inmates, most of whom have no postrelease supervision.) Policy Statement 25, Development of Supervision Strategy, detailed how a planning team comprising corrections, community corrections, and service provider staff should work with each individual prior to his or her release from prison or jail to develop a specific supervision strategy. This policy statement looks at ways community corrections officers can effectively implement this strategy, with the support of community corrections administrators, policymakers, and community members. The recommendations that follow emphasize the need to focus resources on the period directly following release and in the neighborhoods to which individuals return. They also highlight assessment and adjustment strategies for modifying the supervision plan. The supervision strategy should always be thoughtfully integrated with the engagement of the individual in needed services and/or employment, and community resources should be enlisted toward this effort. (See Policy Statement 27, Maintaining Continuity of Care, and Policy Statement 28, Job Development and Supportive Employment, for more on these aspects of the postrelease period.) In addition, the parameters of the supervision strategy should be reinforced through a system of graduated incentives and sanctions. This approach is further explained in Policy Statement 29, Graduated Responses.

Recommendations:

1.

The majority of state prisoners-77 percent-is released from prison on to some type of conditional community supervision. a small share (albeit a large number) of jail inmates is released to probation supervision.

A.

Focus supervision resources on the period directly following release.

B.

Ensure contact between the supervision officer and probationer/parolee corresponds to level of risk presented.

2.

Parole and probation officer caseloads are typically high, translating to minimal personal contact and supervision.

C.

Supervise probationers or parolees in the community where they live.

3.

Few probation and parole officers are based in the neighborhood where the majority of their clients lives.

4.

Research suggests that the most critical period for a returning prisoner is immediately following release.

D.

Coordinate the activities of local law enforcement and probation and parole agencies.

E.

Leverage community-based networks to assist with the implementation of the supervision strategy, and consult family and community members regularly to determine their assessment of the person's adjustment to the home and/or neighborhood.

F.

Assess periodically the extent to which the individual's transition into the community is proceeding successfully and modify the supervision plan accordingly.

G.

Facilitate compliance by recognizing that people under supervision will require an adjustment period, and address the issues that this period poses.