U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Probation and Parole in the United States, 1998 August 1999 NCJ 178234 Revised 10/13/99 th This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#Probation By Thomas P. Bonczar BJS Statistician Lauren E. Glaze BJS Statistical Assistant The total Federal, State, and local adult correctional population -- incarcerated or in the community -- grew by 164,100 during 1998 to reach a new high of 5.9 million. About 2.9% of the U.S. adult population, or about 1 in every 34 adults, were incarcerated or on probation or parole at yearend 1998. A total of 3,417,613 adult men and women were on probation in the United States at yearend 1998, representing a growth of 3.7% during the year. The adult parole population grew 1.5%, rising to a total of 704,964 by December 31, 1998. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adults under community supervision or in jail or prison, 1990-98 Total estimated correctional Community supervision Incarceration Year population/a Probation Parole Jail Prison 1990 4,348,000 2,670,234 531,407 403,019 743,382 1995 5,335,100 3,077,861 679,421 499,300 1,078,542 1996 5,482,700 3,164,996 679,733 510,400 1,127,528 1997 5,726,200 3,296,513 694,787 557,974 1,176,922 1998/b 5,890,300 3,417,613 704,964 584,372 1,232,900 Percent change 1899 2.9% 3.7% 1.5% 4.7% 4.8% 1892 35.5 28.0 32.7 45.0 65.9 Average annual percent change 1990-98 3.9% 3.1% 3.6% 4.8% 6.5% Note: The probation and parole counts may vary from previously reported estimates. Counts are for December 31, except for jail counts for June 30. All jail and prison counts are for inmates in custody. a/A small number of individuals had multiple correctional statuses; consequently, the total is an overestimate. The total for 1998 excludes 36,527 probationers in jail and 13,012 probationers in prison. b/The 1998 prison count is an estimate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------- Highlights --------------- Probation-- * The adult probation population grew 3.7% in 1998, an increase of nearly 121,100 probationers, exceeding the average annual growth of 3.1% since 1990. * 57% of all probationers had been convicted of a felony, 40% of a misdemeanor, and 3% of other infractions. Twenty-four percent were on probation for a drug law violation, and 17%, for driving while intoxicated. * Eight States registered an increase of 10% or more in their probation population in 1998, led by Vermont and Idaho, each with a 21% increase. Eleven States reported a decrease in their adult probation population during 1998, led by Louisiana and South Dakota, each with -7%. * Washington had the highest rate of probationers per 100,000 residents, 3,619; Kentucky had the lowest, 437. Parole-- * Overall, the Nation's parole population grew by about 10,000 in 1998, or 1.5% -- less than half the average annual increase of 3.6% since 1990. * Mandatory releases from prison as a result of a sen- tencing statute or good-time provision comprised 53% of those entering parole in 1998; in 1990 they were 41%. * A total of 12 States registered double-digit increases in their parole population in 1998. Six States had a parole population increase exceeding 20% in 1998: Ohio, 66%; Idaho 55%; North Dakota, 51%; South Dakota, 32%; Colorado, 26%; and Minnesota, 22%. * Eleven States had a decrease of 10% or more in their parole population, led by Virginia, down 37%, and North Carolina, down 30%. ---------------------------------- Over 4 million adult men and women were on probation or parole ---------------------------------- At yearend 1998, the number of adult men and women in the United States who were being supervised in the community surpassed 4 million for the first time, to a record 4,122,577 adults under supervision on December 31, 1998. These data were collected in the 1998 Probation Data Survey and the 1998 Parole Data Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The 3.3% increase of 131,277 in the number of adults under supervision in the community was more than the average annual increase of 3.2% since 1990. The total adult correctional population, including those incarcerated and those being supervised in the community, reached a new high of 5,890,300 at the end of 1998. At yearend 1998, 2.9%, or about 1 in every 34 adults in the United States, were in State or Federal prisons, local jails, or under the supervision of probation or parole authorities, up from 2.3% in 1990. During the same time, there was a steady decline in the percentage of the correctional population under supervision in the community, from 74% of the total adult correctional population in 1990 to 69% in 1998. Percent of correc- Percent of U.S. tional population adults under under community correctional Year supervision supervision 1990 73.6% 2.3% 1991 73.2 2.4 1992 72.9 2.5 1993 72.4 2.6 1994 71.4 2.7 1995 70.4 2.7 1996 70.8 2.8 1997 69.7 2.9 1998 69.1 2.9 Texas and California led the Nation in number of adults supervised in the community Nearly 1 million persons being supervised in the community in 1998, or about 1 in 4 probationers and parolees,were in Texas and California. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table 1. Community corrections among the States, yearend 1998 10 States with the largest 10 States with 10 States with Persons 10 States with Persons 1998 community the largest the highest supervised per the lowest rates supervised per corrections Number percent Percent rates of super- 100,000 adult of supervision, 100,000 adult populations supervised increase increase vision, 1998 U.S. residents* 1998 U.S. residents* Probation Texas 443,758 Vermont 21.0 % Washington 3,619 Kentucky 437 California 324,427 Idaho 20.6 Delaware 3,548 West Virginia 452 Florida 239,021 Arkansas 18.7 Texas 3,140 North Dakota 559 New York 190,518 New Mexico 17.5 Rhode Island 2,710 Mississippi 578 Michigan 172,147 Arizona 17.3 Georgia 2,702 New Hampshire 584 Washington 152,609 Alabama 13.8 Minnesota 2,625 Virginia 594 Georgia 151,865 Pennsylvania 11.9 Michigan 2,369 South Dakota 648 New Jersey 133,227 Illinois 10.4 Indiana 2,326 Utah 678 Illinois 131,850 Montana 9.6 Connecticut 2,316 Maine 730 Pennsylvania 121,094 Iowa 9.6 New Jersey 2,175 Montana 782 Parole: Texas 112,022 Ohio 66.2 % Pennsylvania 910 Maine 7 California 110,617 Idaho 55.4 Texas 793 Washington 9 Pennsylvania 83,168 North Dakota 50.9 Oregon 703 North Dakota 37 New York 59,548 South Dakota 32.2 Louisiana 590 Connecticut 48 Illinois 30,432 Colorado 25.7 California 466 Nebraska 51 Georgia 20,482 Minnesota 22.4 New York 436 Oklahoma 62 Louisiana 18,759 Connecticut 19.0 Maryland 404 Rhode Island 62 Oregon 17,270 Nevada 17.1 Georgia 364 Florida 65 Maryland 15,528 Utah 15.0 Illinois 344 West Virginia 69 Michigan 15,331 Arkansas 11.4 Arkansas 338 Mississippi 75 Note: The District of Columbia as a wholly urban jurisdiction is excluded. *Rates are computed using the U.S. adult resident population on July 1, 1998. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Texas led the Nation with 555,780 persons on probation or parole, followed by California with 435,044. Texas also led the Nation with the largest percentage of its adult population under community supervision (3.9% at yearend 1998), followed by Delaware and Washington, each with 3.6%. California's community supervision rate of 1.8% was less than half of that of Texas. Twelve States reported that fewer than 1% of their adult populations were on probation or parole. West Virginia had the lowest rate of supervision in the community (521 offenders per 100,000 adults). Number under supervision per 100,000 adult residents West Virginia 521 Kentucky 590 North Dakota 596 Mississippi 653 New Hampshire 713 Virginia 724 Maine 737 South Dakota 851 Montana 884 Utah 948 Iowa 965 New Mexico 993 Nearly 3 out of 5 probationers were convicted of a felony Probationers are criminal offenders who have been sentenced to a period of correctional supervision in the community. On December 31, 1998, a total of 3,417,613 adult men and women were serving a probation sentence in the United States. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table 2. Adults on probation, 1998 Probation Probation Percent change in Number on probation per Region population, 1998 population, probation population 100,000 adult residents, and jurisdiction 01/01/98 Entries Exits 12/31/98 during 1998 12/31/98 U.S. total 3,296,513 1,672,910 1,555,762 3,417,613 3.7 % 1,705 Federal/a 33,532 14,871 14,861 33,254 -0.8 % 17 State 3,262,981 1,658,039 1,540,901 3,384,359 3.7 1,689 Northeast 561,707 238,520 209,318 590,684 5.2 % 1,509 Connecticut 55,989 32,318 30,797 57,510 2.7 2,316 Mainea 7,178 : : 6,953 -3.1 730 Massachusetts 46,430 40,165 40,028 46,567 0.3 993 New Hampshire 4,876 3,760 3,461 5,175 6.1 584 New Jersey /b 130,565 58,200 55,538 133,227 2.0 2,175 New York 181,105 48,384 38,971 190,518 5.2 1,393 Pennsylvania/b 108,230 43,091 30,227 121,094 11.9 1,325 Rhode Island/b 19,648 7,099 6,404 20,343 3.5 2,710 Vermont 7,686 5,503 3,892 9,297 21.0 2,068 Midwest 746,286 441,239 416,898 774,455 3.8 % 1,664 Illinois 119,481 68,232 55,863 131,850 10.4 1,488 Indiana 96,752 84,946 79,798 101,900 5.3 2,326 Iowa 16,834 17,184 15,571 18,447 9.6 862 Kansas/c,d 16,339 19,306 19,482 16,163 -1.1 837 Michigan/a,b,e 165,449 61,755 58,729 172,147 4.0 2,369 Minnesota 94,920 54,671 58,618 90,973 -4.2 2,625 Missouri/b,e 46,301 17,815 16,110 48,006 3.7 1,191 Nebraska 16,439 12,560 13,062 15,937 -3.1 1,309 North Dakota 2,700 1,622 1,664 2,658 -1.6 559 Ohio/a,b,e 113,493 74,298 70,719 117,618 3.6 1,406 South Dakota/a,d,f 3,730 4,098 3,958 3,480 -6.7 648 Wisconsin 53,848 24,752 23,324 55,276 2.7 1,427 South 1,306,375 658,788 638,146 1,327,705 1.6 % 1,874 Alabama/a,b,e 38,720 17,279 15,626 44,047 13.8 1,348 Arkansas/g 28,294 13,668 8,379 33,583 18.7 1,782 Delaware/b 18,837 11,013 9,820 20,030 6.3 3,548 District of Columbia 10,043 9,840 9,278 10,605 5.6 2,524 Florida/a,b,e 239,694 144,384 142,007 239,021 -0.3 2,101 Georgia/e 149,963 60,206 58,304 151,865 1.3 2,702 Kentucky 12,093 6,554 5,755 12,892 6.6 437 Louisiana 35,453 16,136 18,561 33,028 -6.8 1,039 Maryland 74,612 40,179 36,740 78,051 4.6 2,029 Mississippi/c,d,h 10,997 6,461 5,928 11,530 4.8 578 North Carolina 105,416 59,436 60,154 104,698 -0.7 1,861 Oklahoma/b,e 28,790 13,912 13,760 28,942 0.5 1,173 South Carolina 43,095 15,280 17,066 41,309 -4.1 1,436 Tennessee/b,e 35,836 23,368 21,796 37,408 4.4 913 Texas 438,232 196,385 190,859 443,758 1.3 3,140 Virginia 30,002 24,687 24,113 30,576 1.9 594 West Virginia/a,g 6,298 : : 6,362 1.0 452 West 648,613 319,492 276,539 691,515 6.6 % 1,576 Alaska/c,g 4,212 1,745 1,501 4,456 5.8 1,057 Arizona/b,e 44,813 28,944 21,177 52,580 17.3 1,544 California/g 304,531 167,106 147,210 324,427 6.5 1,366 Colorado/a,b,e 45,499 26,477 21,337 47,792 5.0 1,631 Hawaii 15,401 7,443 7,133 15,711 2.0 1,756 Idaho 6,367 3,138 1,828 7,677 20.6 875 Montana/a,g 4,683 : : 5,133 9.6 782 Nevada/b 11,670 5,794 4,903 12,561 7.6 981 New Mexico/b,e 8,905 8,926 7,371 10,460 17.5 849 Oregon 43,980 16,876 16,047 44,809 1.9 1,824 Utah 9,519 4,130 4,174 9,475 -0.5 678 Washington/a,b,e 145,547 45,839 41,123 152,609 4.9 3,619 Wyoming 3,486 3,074 2,735 3,825 9.7 1,088 : Not known. a/Because of nonresponse or incomplete data, the population on December 31, 1998, does not equal the population on January 1, 1998, plus entries, minus exits. b/Some data are estimated. c/Data do not include absconders. d/Data do not include out-of-State cases. e/Multiple agencies reporting. f/Data are for year beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 30, 1998. g/All data are estimated. h/Data do not include inactive cases. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nearly 3 out of 5 probationers had been convicted of a felony offense; 2 out of 5 had been convicted of a misdemeanor. Percent of adults Type of sentence on probation Felony 57% Misdemeanor 40 Other infractions 3 Note: Information on "type of sentence" was not available for 6% of probationers. Twenty-four percent of probationers had a drug law violation, and 17% were sentenced for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol. Percent of adults Specific offense on probation DWI/DUI 17% Drug law violation 24 Note: "DWI/DUI" status was not available for 33% of probationers; "drug law violation," 42%. 121,100 probationers added in 1998 During 1998 the probation population grew by 121,100, an increase of 3.7%. ------------------------------------------------ Table 3. Change in the number of adults on probation, 1990-98 Annual increase Year Number Percent change 1991 58,238 2.2% 1992 83,139 3.0 1993 91,450 3.3 1994 77,961 2.7 1995 96,839 3.2 1996 87,135 2.8 1997 131,517 4.2 1998 121,100 3.7 Total increase, 1990-98 747,379 28.0% Average annual increase, 1990-98 93,422 3.1% ------------------------------------------- This was greater than the 3.1% average annual increase recorded since yearend 1990 -- the equivalent of 93,422 probationers added each year. Since yearend 1990, the probation population only grew faster in 1997, when the addition of 131,722 probationers resulted in an increase of 4.2%. 8 States reported an increase of 10% or more in their probation population Vermont and Idaho each reported an increase of 21% in the number of adults on probation during 1998. Other States that reported an increase of at least 10% in their adult probation population were Arkansas (19%), New Mexico (17%), Arizona (17%), Alabama (14%), Pennsylvania (12%), and Illinois (10%). Eleven States had fewer adults on probation at the end of 1998 than at the beginning of the year, led by Louisiana and South Dakota, each down 7%. Direct and split sentences more common in 1998 than 1990 In 1998, 51% (1,739,600) of all adults on probation had received a direct sentence to probation from court, up from 38% in 1990; and 10% (341,200) had received a split sentence to incarceration and probation in 1998, up from 6% in 1990. ------------------------------------------------------------- Table 4. Characteristics of adults on probation, 1990 and 1998 Characteristic 1990 1998 Total number 100 % 100 % Gender 100 % 100 % Male 82 79 Female 18 21 Race 100 % 100 % White 68 64 Black/African American 31 35 American Indian/ Alaska Native 1 1 Asian/Pacific Islander* -- 1 Hispanic origin 100 % 100 % Hispanic 18 15 Non-Hispanic 82 85 Status of supervision 100 % 100 % Active 83 77 Inactive 9 9 Absconded 6 10 Supervised out of State 2 2 Other ** 2 Adults entering probation 100 % 100 % Without incarceration 87 77 With incarceration 8 17 Other types 5 6 Adults leaving probation 100 % 100 % Successful completions 69 59 Returned to incarceration 14 17 With new sentence 3 9 With the same sentence 11 9 Absconder 7 3 Other unsuccessful 2 9 Death -- -- Other 7 11 Status of probation 100 % 100 % Sentence suspended 41 27 Imposition suspended 14 10 Direct imposition 38 51 Split sentence 6 10 Other 1 2 Note: For every characteristic there were persons of unknown status or type. Detail may not sum to total because of rounding. **Not available. --Less than 0.5%. *Includes Native Hawaiians. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Smaller percentages of probationers in 1998 had a suspended sentence to incarceration (27%, down from 41% in 1990), or had the imposition of their sentence to probation suspended (10%, down from 14% in 1990). 1 in 5 probationers are women; 2 in 3 are white Nationwide, women represented a larger percentage of the probation population in 1998 than in 1990. Women were 21% of adults on probation in 1998 (721,400), up from 18% in 1990. At yearend 1998 more than a third of probationers (1,179,400) were black. Two-thirds (2,186,600) were white. Persons of other races accounted for about 2% of probationers (51,600). Hispanics, who may be of any race, comprised 15% of probationers (515,000). Nearly 3 out of 5 of the 1.6 million adults discharged from probation in 1998 had successfully met the conditions of their supervision. An additional 17% of probationers who were discharged from supervision in 1998 were incarcerated because of a rule violation or new offense. Parole growth in 1998 less than half average annual growth since 1990 Also serving time in the community at the end of 1998 were 704,964 adults on parole. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 5. Adults on parole, 1998 Parole Parole Percent change in Number on parole per Region population, 1998 population, parole population 100,000 adult residents, and jurisdiction 01/01/98 Entries Exits 12/31/98 during 1998 12/31/98 U.S. total 694,787 434,209 423,661 704,964 1.5 % 352 Federal/a 63,512 2489500.0% 21,238 66,761 5.1 % 33 State 631,275 409314.0 402,423 638,203 1.1 318 Northeast 162,782 72,626 69,713 165,313 1.6 % 422 Connecticut 996 1,449 1,260 1,185 19 48 Maine/b 67 2 4 65 -3 7 Massachusetts/a 4,596 3,718 3,443 4,489 -2.3 96 New Hampshire 1,083 565 507 1,141 5.4 129 New Jersey/b 16,903 16,281 18,627 14,557 -13.9 238 New York 59,670 25,096 25,218 59,548 -0.2 436 Pennsylvania/b 78,264 24,726 19,822 83,168 6.3 910 Rhode Island 526 53200% 589 469 -10.8 62 Vermont 677 257 243 691 2.1 154 Midwest 89,860 69,798 65,939 93,719 4.3 % 201 Illinois 30,348 2377300% 23,689 30,432 0.3 344 Indiana/c,d 4,044 4,681 4,467 4,258 5.3 97 Iowa 2,037 2,608 2,451 2,194 7.7 103 Kansas/c 6,150 4,982 5,107 6,025 -2 312 Michigan 14,351 10,503 9,523 15,331 6.8 211 Minnesota 2,446 3,011 2,462 2,995 22.4 86 Missouri/e 12,514 5,034 7,182 10,366 -17.2 257 Nebraska 688 710 774 624 -9.3 51 North Dakota 116 338 279 175 50.9 37 Ohio 6,803 9,275 4,774 11,304 66.2 135 South Dakota 823 825 560 1,088 32.2 203 Wisconsin 9,540 4,058 4,671 8,927 -6.4 231 South 236,743 99,334 109,084 227,473 -3.9 % 321 Alabama/a,b,f 6,356 2,423 2,059 6,785 6.7 208 Arkansas/e 5,719 5,415 4,763 6,371 11.4 338 Delaware/a,b,g 591 : 192 572 -3.2 101 District of Columbia/a,b 7,761 1,553 2,975 6,625 -14.6 1,577 Florida 8,477 4,315 5,371 7,421 -12.5 65 Georgia/a 21,915 10,360 11,749 20,482 -6.5 364 Kentucky 4,233 2,938 2,663 4,508 6.5 153 Louisiana 19,927 13,533 14,701 18,759 -5.9 590 Maryland 15,763 8,459 8,694 15,528 -1.5 404 Mississipp/c,d,h 1,378 1,094 983 1,489 8.1 75 North Carolina/b 8,148 6,923 9,331 5,740 -29.6 102 Oklahoma/b 1,928 317 713 1,532 -20.5 62 South Carolina 4,813 939 1,393 4,359 -9.4 152 Tennessee 8,693 3,086 4,174 7,605 -12.5 186 Texase 109,437 32,189 29,604 112,022 2.4 793 Virginia 10,710 5,115 9,125 6,700 -37.4 130 West Virginia 894 675 594 975 9.1 69 West 141,890 167,556 157,687 151,698 6.9 % 346 Alaskae 472 313 293 492 4.2 117 Arizona 3,378 6,207 5,843 3,742 10.8 110 California/c,f 104,412 140,724 134,519 110,617 5.9 466 Colorado 4,139 4,421 3,356 5,204 25.7 178 Hawaii 1,827 791 609 2,009 10 225 Idaho 820 832 378 1,274 55.4 145 Montana/a,e 755 : : 667 -11.7 102 Nevada/b 3,463 2,606 2,014 4,055 17.1 317 New Mexico 1,626 1,671 1,524 1,773 9 144 Oregon 16,815 7,010 6,555 17,270 2.7 703 Utah 3,281 2,686 2,195 3,772 15 270 Washington/a,e 480 23 155 375 -21.9 9 Wyoming/b 422 272 246 448 6.2 127 : Not known. a/Because of nonresponse or incomplete data, the population on December 31, 1998, does not equal the population on January 1, 1998, plus entries, minus exits. b/Some data are estimated. c/Data do not include absconders. d/Data do not include out-of-State cases. e/All data are estimated. f/Multiple agencies reporting. g/Data are for period beginning March 30, 1998, and ending December 31, 1998. h/Data do not include inactive cases. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parole is a period of conditional supervised release following a prison term. Prisoners may be released to parole either by a parole board decision or by mandatory conditional release. The 1.5% growth in parole during 1998 -- a net increase of about 10,000 parolees -- was less than half the average annual increase of 3.6% in parole since 1990. Nearly all parolees had been convicted of a felony (96%). Percent of adults Length of sentence on parole Less than 1 year 4% One year or more 96 Note: Information on length of sentence was not available for 20% of parolees. Double-digit increases and decreases in parole population reported by many States Twelve States reported an increase of 10% or more in their adult parole population for the year ending December 31, 1998. Ohio led with 66%, followed by five other States exceeeding 20%: Idaho (55%), North Dakota (51%), South Dakota (32%), Colorado (26%), and Minnesota (22%). Decreases of 10% or more in parole population during 1998 were reported by 11 other States. Virginia's parole population decrease of 37% for the year ending December 31, 1998, was followed by three other States with a decrease of 20% or more: North Carolina (-30%), Washington (-22%), and Oklahoma (-21%). Sharp increases in parole entries linked to rise in parole population Ten of the twelve States experiencing the largest growths in their parole populations also reported increases of 13% or more in the number of entries to parole in 1998 as compared with 1997. Among States with a 10% or more increase in their parole population, Arizona was an exception. In Arizona the number of persons entering parole increased 1%. The population growth in Arizona during 1998 resulted primarily from an 11% decrease in the number of exits from parole. Jurisdictions having changes Percent change, 1997-98 in 1998 parole Total population of popula- +10% or more Entries Exits tion Decreases Virginia* -46 % 4 % -37 % North Carolina* -21 -28 -30 Washington* -28 38 -22 Oklahoma* -28 6 -21 Missouri* 7 36 -17 Dist. of Col.* -33 26 -15 New Jersey* 11 52 -14 Tennessee* -28 -8 -13 Florida* -29 23 -12 Montana : : -12 Rhode Island -9 -6 -11 Increases Ohio* 76 % -- % 66 % Idaho 39 -20 55 North Dakota* 59 45 51 South Dakota 22 4 32 Colorado 18 16 26 Minnesota* 14 -4 22 Connecticut* 37 10 19 Nevada : : 17 Utah* 15 14 15 Arkansas 68 69 11 Arizona* 1 -11 11 Hawaii 13 -5 10 *Meet Federal 85% truth-in-sentencing requirements. :Not known. --Less than -0.5%. Among States with parole population decreases of 10% or more during 1998, seven reported a 9% or greater decrease in the number of entries to parole as compared with 1997. In three States (Florida, New Jersey, and Missouri) where the number of entries increased in 1998 as compared with 1997, exits increased even more, resulting in a net decrease in parole population during 1998. Parole growth varied among truth- in-sentencing States Restrictions on early release from prison and other reforms to reduce the discrepancy between sentence imposed and actual time served in prison have come to be known as truth in sentencing. First enacted in Washington State in 1984, these laws require offenders to serve a greater portion of the prison sentence before being released. Definitions of truth in sentencing vary among the States, as do the percentage of sentence required to be served and the crimes covered by the laws (most target violent offenders).*** (footnote 1)See Truth in Sentencing in State Prisons BJS Special Report, January 1999, NCJ 170032 for more information. *** Adoption of truth-in-sentencing laws might be expected over time to result in a net decrease in the number of persons on parole. As such laws are phased-in, the number of persons entering parole might be expected to decrease as prison time served by affected offenders increases. Subsequently, offenders who have served more time in prison may have less time to spend on parole. The nine States reporting the largest decreases in parole during 1998 had all enacted restrictions on early release. Each met Federal requirements for truth-in-sentencing incentive grants; the remaining two States with parole decreases of 10% or more during 1998 did not. Truth-in-sentencing laws, however, had also been enacted by 6 of the 12 States reporting parole increases of 10% or more.*** (footnote 2)For eligibility criteria, see Violent Of Incarceration and Truth-In-Sentencing Incentive Grants: Program Guidance and Application Kit, FY98, Office of Justice Programs, NCJ 168942.*** Overall, 16 of the 22 States that had a decrease in their parole population during 1998 met the Federal 85% truth-in-sentencing requirements, compared to 13 of the 29 States that had an increase in their parole population. Number of States meeting Federal truth- Parole population All States in-sentencing requirements change in 1998 22 16 Decrease 29 13 Increase Mandatory releases to parole have increased since 1990 Discretionary releases of prisoners to parole supervision by a parole board have decreased from 59% of adults entering parole in 1990 to 41%, or 176,600, in 1998. -------------------------------------------------------- Table 6. Characteristics of adults on parole, 1990 and 1998 Characteristic of adults on parole 1990 1998 Total 100 % 100 % Gender 100 % 100 % Male 92 88 Female 8 12 Race 100 % 100 % White 52 55 Black/African American 47 44 Other 1 1 Hispanic origin 100 % 100 % Hispanic 18 21 Non-Hispanic 82 79 Status of supervision 100 % 100 % Active supervision 82 81 Inactive supervision 6 5 Absconded 6 8 Supervised out of State 6 5 Other ** -- Adults entering parole 100 % 100 % Discretionary parole 59 41 Mandatory parole 41 53 Reinstatement ** 5 Other ** 1 Adults leaving parole 100 % 100 % Successful completion 50 45 Returned to incarceration 46 42 With new sentence 17 13 Other 29 29 Absconder 1 9 Other unsuccessful 1 1 Transferred 1 1 Death 1 1 Other ** 1 Note: For every characteristic there were persons of unknown status or type. Detail may not sum to total because of rounding. **Not available. -Less than 0.5%. During this same period, mandatory releases to parole supervision increased from 41% of parole entries in 1990 to 53%, or 230,600, in 1998. Even though mandatory releases had increased during the 1990's, 438,700 adults on parole on December 31, 1998, 62% of the total, were reported to have been placed on parole as the result of a parole board decision. Type of sentence of Percent of adults adults on parole on parole Discretionary parole 62% Mandatory parole 37 Special conditional rel -- Other -- Note: Information on "type of sentence" was not available for 3% of adults on parole. --Less than 0.5%. Women accounted for more than 1 in 8 adults on parole in 1998 About 1 of every 8 adults on parole in 1998 (82,300), were women. Women represented a larger percentage of the parole population (12%) in 1998 than in 1990 when they were 8%. More than 2 out of 5 adults on parole on December 31, 1998, (311,300) were black; half (384,700) were white. About 1% of parolees were of other races (9,000). Twenty-one percent of parolees (144,900) were Hispanics, who may be of any race. Of 423,700 parolees discharged from supervision in 1998, 45% had successfully met the conditions of their supervision, while 42% had been returned to incarceration either because of a rule violation or new offense. Absconders accounted for 9% of those discharged from parole in 1998, up from 1% of those discharged in 1990. Methodology The Probation and Parole Data Surveys provide a count of the total number of persons supervised in the community on January 1 and December 31, 1998, and a count of the number entering and leaving supervision during the year. These surveys cover all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal system. Data for the Federal system are from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as provided to the BJS Federal Justice Statistics Program. Because many States update their population counts, the January 1, 1998, numbers may differ from those previously published for December 31, 1997. Probation The 1998 Probation Data Survey was sent to 304 respondents: 39 central State reporters and 265 separate State, county, or court agencies, representing a net increase of 33 local respondents as compared with the 1997 Probation Data Survey. Changes in authority and fragmentation of local agencies led to 35 additional agencies as follows: Georgia (1), Michigan (18), Ohio (1), and Washington (15). One local agency in Washington closed, and two local agencies in Michigan are now reported on a single form. Inclusion of these proba- tion agencies accounted for an increase of 27,039 probationers on 1/1/98 and 29,329 probationers on 12/31/98. States with multiple reporters in the 1998 Probation Data Survey were Alabama (3), Arizona (2), Colorado (9), Florida (14), Georgia (3), Michigan (131), Missouri (2), New Mexico (2), Ohio (53), Oklahoma (3), Tennessee (3), Washington (38), and West Virgin- ia (2). Two local agencies in Michigan and one in Alabama did not provide data. For these the 12/31/97 population count was used as the 1/1/98 and 12/31/98 count. Parole The 1998 Parole Data Survey was sent to 54 respondents, including 52 central reporters, the California Youth Authority, and 1 municipal agency. States with multiple reporters were Alabama (2) and California (2). Federal parole as defined here includes supervised release, parole, military parole, special parole, and mandatory release. The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs such as the Probation and Parole Data Surveys. Thomas P. Bonczar wrote this report with the assistance of Lauren E. Glaze while under the supervision of Allen J. Beck. The authors conducted the data collection. Todd D. Minton provided statistical verif cation. Tom Hester edited the report. Jayne Robinson administered final production. August 1999, NCJ 178234 This report in portable document format and in ASCII, its tables, and related statistical data are availab at the BJS World Wide Web Internet site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ End of page 8/17/99 IH revised 10/13/99 th