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The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk

The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk

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it should be noted that those programs not reporting a particular type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> increase (e.g.,<br />

caseload size) will still have increased intensity in other ways. Furthermore, studies<br />

assessing reduced caseloads will most likely also have involved more c<strong>on</strong>tacts simply<br />

because the probati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficers had more time with their clients, even if increased c<strong>on</strong>tacts<br />

were not a stated comp<strong>on</strong>ent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the program. Thus, we cannot say much about the effects<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> specific changes in intensity with these results.<br />

We examined whether studies reporting increases in <strong>on</strong>e or more comp<strong>on</strong>ents <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

intensity reported actual or planned ratios (e.g., planned caseload size in the treatment<br />

group compared to average caseloads <strong>on</strong> regular probati<strong>on</strong>). Due to the amount <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

variability and the fact that planned amounts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> supervisi<strong>on</strong> did not always translate into<br />

practice, we simply dichotomized dosage variables according to whether or not the<br />

dosage was changed by more or less than 100 per cent in the treatment group compared<br />

to the c<strong>on</strong>trol group. Tables 1.5 and 1.6 show the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this investigati<strong>on</strong> for<br />

recidivism and technical violati<strong>on</strong>s respectively. ‘High’ dosage programs are those in<br />

which the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tacts or drug tests was more than 100 per cent greater than<br />

c<strong>on</strong>trol group standards. We were unable to include caseload size in the analysis because<br />

<strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e study reported a planned caseload difference <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> less than 100 per cent.<br />

Table 1.5 shows that neither high nor low dosages <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tacts or drug tests<br />

appeared to greatly affect recidivism compared to regular probati<strong>on</strong>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> results are<br />

similar for technical violati<strong>on</strong>s (Table 1.6). While we observe some large effects for drug<br />

test dosage and violati<strong>on</strong>s, the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> studies is very small. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> finding for c<strong>on</strong>tact<br />

frequency and technical violati<strong>on</strong>s is unsurprising: the odds <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> failure for probati<strong>on</strong>ers in<br />

high c<strong>on</strong>tact ISPs compared to c<strong>on</strong>trols were higher than for those in low c<strong>on</strong>tact ISPs<br />

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