Even a carefully developed, detailed supervision strategy will need to be regularly reviewed and revised as variables change and an individual progresses. Achievements or failures in certain aspects of the plan will affect the probability of success or failure in other aspects, and these effects may multiply quickly in the early stages of reintegration. A person with a mental illness who following his or her treatment regimen but has no community corrections intervention may turn to illegal drugs to self-medicate and then may risk losing his or her housing or employment. Addressing such an issue at its inception, perhaps by increasing doctor visits, is the goal of proactive community supervision. In addition, many offenders remain on supervision for an extended period, during which time their need for monitoring and services is likely to vary significantly.

The development of a mutually agreed upon supervision strategy should delineate the responsibilities of not only the probationer or parolee, but also the supervising officer and other involved entities. Such plans should incorporate outcome measures to provide a means of determining the success or failure of specific activities. (See Policy Statement 6, Measuring Outcomes and Evaluating the Impact of a Re-Entry Initiative, for more on assessing effectiveness of interventions.) Periodic assessments of the supervision strategy, the service needs of the individual under supervision, and the current risk he or she presents to the community should be conducted by supervision staff. On the basis of such reassessments, enhanced levels of monitoring or additional or different services can be engaged to intervene in the individual's life before he or she potentially becomes a renewed threat to the community. Conversely, if the offender is making good progress; is regularly displaying pro-social behavior; has developed or been afforded informal community support; or is otherwise determined to be in a positive, stable situation, unneeded resources might be redirected to other purposes.

Decisions to increase or decrease the level of supervision and/or services should be based upon the findings of an objective, validated assessment tool and the use of an outcome-based case supervision plan, rather than merely a predetermined passage of time or the subjective judgment of the supervising officer or other justice overseers. (See Policy Statement 8, Development of Intake Procedure, for more on assessing and reassessing individuals at appropriate intervals during their involvement in the justice system.)

Example: Matrix, Iowa Department of Correctional Services

In Iowa's Sixth Judicial District, Community Corrections Officers administer the Level of Services Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) and other risk-assessment instruments every six months. They then use an intranet-based management system called the Matrix to help them interpret the results and modify supervision plans as needed. (See Policy Statement 29, Graduated Responses, for more on how officers apply sanctions and incentives in accordance with Matrix results.)

Community corrections staff should also conduct ongoing assessments of the potential risk the offender may encounter from the community at large. This is particularly salient with the advent of community notification laws that publicly identify certain releasees, such as individuals convicted of sex offenses, and pinpoint their residences. Supervision officers should consider risks that include, but are not limited to, physical harm to the probationer or parolee; ostracism of the probationer or parolee that forces him or her into an isolation that inhibits reintegration; inability to secure appropriate housing which effectively forces the person into an undesirable living situation; and the inability to find gainful employment. Supervision agencies need to engage the community and its allied agencies and initiatives, such as Partnerships for Safe Communities, Neighborhood Watch, and Weed and Seed, to assist them in identifying potential and real risks that the community poses for the person under supervision.