Comparing Public Safety Outcomes for Traditional Probation vs Specialty Mental Health Probation.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Probation is a cornerstone of efforts to reduce mass incarceration. Although it is understudied, specialty probation could improve outcomes for the overrepresented group of people with mental illness.

Objective

To test whether specialty probation yields better public safety outcomes than traditional probation.

Design, setting, and participants

A longitudinal observational study with group matching on age, sex, race/ethnicity, probation time, and offense at 2 urban agencies that exemplify specialty and traditional probation. Enrollment began October 19, 2005; follow-up data were complete January 26, 2013. Participants were 359 diverse probationers with serious mental health problems and functional impairment. Probationers and officers were assessed 3 times (

SUBMITTER: Skeem JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5710232 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature