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Abstract: 

The increase in jail and prison populations across the United States has been attributed, in part, to the increase in probation and parole revocations in recent years. Offenders who violate probation but do not necessarily commit new crimes are generally referred to as “technical violators” of probation. High revocation rates are often considered a signal of failed policy or programming, but revocations for technical violations are typically far more benign, and can indicate adjustment issues rather than deeper problems. Technical violations are not well studied; this article represents an important contribution to our understanding of technical violations, their nature, frequency, and implications for re-entry and revocation policy and practice. The study includes data on felony population revocations, characteristics of revoked felony offenders; and statistically significant predictors of successful completion of a supervision sentence.

Keywords: Substance use disorders; technical violations; probation and parole efficiency

Affiliations:  1: Tarrant County CSCD; 2: Mercy Catholic Medical Center; 3: Tarrant County CSCD.