Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Several Deficiencies Hinder the Supervision of Offenders in the Community Corrections Program

Report 06-37, April 2006




Report Summary

  • The Department of Corrections is responsible for over 192,000 offenders on various types of community supervision. Between February 2004 and December 2005, 1,842 offenders were arrested for committing serious crimes, such as murder, sexual offenses, robbery, child abuse, and aggravated stalking. The department found officer noncompliance in 243 (13%) of those cases, most commonly for failing to make required contacts with the offender.
  • Several deficiencies hinder the supervision of offenders in community corrections. Program resources are not directed at offenders who pose the highest risk. Administrative tasks hinder officers' ability to supervise offenders, and offender transport creates problems for the department and local law enforcement.
  • Therefore, the Legislature should remove caseload standards from statutes and require the department to manage caseloads and provide supervision based on an offender's level of risk. The department should monitor all offenders based on their risk to public safety, study options to improve technology, and assess options of transporting offenders who violate supervision to jail.


Related Reports
  1. Electronic Monitoring Expanded to Target Communities' More Dangerous Offenders
    Report 07-42 November 2007
  2. Department of Corrections Zero Tolerance Policy Increases Offender Scrutiny But Is Not Based on Risk to Public Safety
    Report 07-13 February 2007
  3. Electronic Monitoring Should Be Better Targeted to the Most Dangerous Offenders
    Report 05-19 April 2005
  4. Progress Report: More Efficient Use of Probation Officers and Prioritization of Victim Restitution Needed
    Report 04-58 August 2004
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
criminal justice, juvenile justice, probation, monitoring, community supervision, community control, house arrest, correctional probation officer, post-prison release, sex offender, Jessica Lunsford Act, crime, corrections, sexually violent predators, sex offenders, treatment, ryce act, martin, liberty, mentally ill, desoto, monitoring, evaluation, high-risk offenders, high risk offenders