TITLE:
Legal and Extralegal Factors Associated with Success on Misdemeanor Probation
AUTHORS:
Hannah C. Turner, Anna M. Scheyett, L. Dale Allen
KEYWORDS:
Probation, Criminal Justice, Misdemeanor, Community Supervision
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.3,
March
18,
2022
ABSTRACT: Probationers make up the largest share of the correctional population in
the US, with recent data indicating that one out of 72 American adults is on
probation. There is limited research on probation outcomes, particularly
misdemeanor probation, despite its potential disruptive life impacts for
relatively minor offenses. This study asked what specific demographic and probation characteristics
are associated with successful misdemeanor probation completion, using data from one county in a southern state. Data from 2016-2018
were analyzed for 6600 cases. Of these, 70.8% had successful case outcomes.
Analyses showed that successful outcomes were associated with being female,
Hispanic, having more than high school education, no unpaid fines, and being
older. Probationers were less likely to be successful if Black, if not their
first offense, and if convicted for property crimes. Implications for practice,
policy, and research are discussed, as is the importance of local data analysis
for tailored understanding of probation at a community level.