The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk

groups. However, control group <strong>of</strong>fenders saw their probation <strong>of</strong>ficers more frequently.
Control group <strong>of</strong>fenders continued their regular appointments with their usual probation
<strong>of</strong>ficer and were not informed <strong>of</strong> their low-risk prediction or experimental status.
Re<strong>of</strong>fending data, including charges for new <strong>of</strong>fenses, technical violations, and
wanted card issuances, were collected for each participant.
New charge data are
available for the two years post-random assignment. For the low-intensity model to be
considered a success, failure rates in the treatment group had to be at least the same, if
not lower, than in the control group. As long as recidivism was not worse in the
treatment group, the APPD deemed low-intensity supervision an acceptable policy.
Main results
Barnes et al. (forthcoming) report experimental outcomes one year post-random
assignment. <strong>The</strong>y note that treatment group cases received approximately 45 per cent
fewer contacts than they had in the year prior to random assignment, while the amount <strong>of</strong>
contact in the control group did not change. Assuming control group <strong>of</strong>fenders had a
face-to-face meeting with their probation <strong>of</strong>ficers once a month, treatment group
<strong>of</strong>fenders were expected to receive one face-to-face contact for every six control group
contacts, or one contact <strong>of</strong> any type (face-to-face or telephone) for every three control
group contacts. This standard was not quite met, but LIS participants still received a
lower-intensity intervention. <strong>The</strong>y received about half the number <strong>of</strong> contacts as the
control group overall. In practice, some control group members met their probation
<strong>of</strong>ficers less than once a month, and some treatment group members saw their probation
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