Many states have experienced stubbornly high rates of revocations from community supervision in recent years, especially for technical violations. This paper examines several of the best policies and practices to address these violations.
Key points:
- According to state revocation data, technical violations alone accounted for roughly one-quarter of all state prison admissions in 2017.
- Many technical revocations involve behavior that would not be punished as a crime were the individual not on supervision, and thereby, do not necessitate confinement.
- Intermediate responses in lieu of revocation, including swift and certain sanctions and capping the length of confinement upon revocation can effectively correct behavior and avoid unnecessary imprisonment.