3.8 million people in the U.S. are under probation and parole (collectively known as "community supervision"). That's nearly twice the number of people incarcerated in prisons and jails combined. Yet despite the massive number of people under their control, parole and probation are only recently starting to receive public scrutiny.
It's time they did. Probation and parole systems are frequently plagued with injustices, setting people up to fail with long supervision terms, onerous restrictions, and constant surveillance. Probation, in particular, often ends up channeling people into jail.
Below is our key research on probation and parole:
Key statistics:
Number of people estimated to be under community supervision in 2024: 3.7 million adults1
Our report shows the number of people in every U.S. state who are in prison, in jail, on probation and on parole, ranking states on their total rates of correctional control.
We explain how parole boards are composed and how they do their work, how parole applicants navigate through preparing for and having their hearing, and how policy and practice translated into the latest parole grant rates.
Our national review finds standard conditions of parole rules are often unnecessarily burdensome and incredibly vague, making it all too easy to “fail” at probation and land behind bars.
Our analysis finds that Massachusetts' poorest communities are hit hardest by monthly probation fees, which are rooted in harsh, "tough on crime" 1980s rhetoric and make little sense for the state today.
We give every state's parole release system a letter grade. Functioning, fair parole release could help end mass incarceration — but most states are failing.
Our report — a policy handbook for shortening long prison sentences — includes crucial parole reforms, such as instituting "presumptive parole" and ending re-incarceration for technical violations.
An Act of Regression: Louisiana takes a giant step backward in parole and sentencing reform, by Emmett Sanders, August 21, 2024 Louisiana lawmakers are eliminating discretionary parole and implementing regressive truth-in-sentencing laws. These billion-dollar “zombie policies” are set to double the prison population in a state that is already a world leader in incarceration and will harm public safety.
Going back to Cali: Revisiting California's parole release system, by Emmett Sanders, December 19, 2023 More than 9,000 people were eligible for hearings in California last year, though the state abolished discretionary parole in 1977. With grant rates among the lowest in the nation and people forced to wait up to 15 years between hearings, the Golden State's parole system is far from glittering.
Guilty by association: When parole and probation rules disrupt support systems, by Leah Wang, November 8, 2023 Requiring people on supervision to avoid others with criminal legal system contact can actually hinder their success in the community. This state-by-state analysis explains what "association" restrictions are, and how they tear apart critical social networks by threatening to lock people up for harmless -- or even helpful -- interactions.
Seeking shelter from mass incarceration: Fighting criminalization with Housing First, by Brian Nam-Sonenstein, September 11, 2023 Providing unconditional housing with embedded services can reduce chronic homelessness, reduce incarceration, and improve quality of life - especially for people experiencing substance use disorder and mental illness.
Mortality, health, and poverty: the unmet needs of people on probation and parole, by Emily Widra and Alexi Jones, April 3, 2023 Unique survey data reveal that people under community supervision have high rates of substance use and mental health disorders and extremely limited access to healthcare, likely contributing to the high rates of mortality.
What you should know about halfway houses, by Roxanne Daniel and Wendy Sawyer, September 3, 2020 Halfway houses are a major feature of the criminal justice system, but very little data is ever published about them. We compiled a guide to understanding what they are, how they operate, and the rampant problems that characterize them.
New data: Low incomes - but high fees - for people on probation, by Mack Finkel, April 9, 2019 People on probation are much more likely to be low-income than those who aren't, and steep monthly probation fees put them at risk of being jailed when they can't pay.
Amidst a pandemic, hundreds are still jailed for technical parole violations in NYC, by Wanda Bertram and Emily Widra, April 24, 2020 As cities attempt to reduce their jail populations, they should pay attention to the lesson of NYC's slow decarceration: Even releasing "low-level offenders" is a complicated process liable to be bogged down by delays.
New reports show probation is down, but still a major driver of incarceration, by Wendy Sawyer and Wanda Bertram, April 26, 2018 New data and analysis show the number of people on probation or parole is edging in the right direction, but states continue to set people up to fail with long supervision terms, onerous restrictions, and constant scrutiny.
Probation population declines: Good, but not good enough, by Wendy Sawyer, December 21, 2016 After decades of exponential growth, any news that the population under correctional control is decreasing is good news. But this progress is too slow.
People on probation and parole are often required to secure jobs and housing. Unfortunately, our research shows, the stigma of a criminal history can make such basic requirements nearly impossible to meet.
Probation disproportionately impacts women: Three out of four women under correctional control are on probation rather than behind bars. Read more about the criminal justice policy issues that hit women the hardest.
An estimated 796,000 Black people were on community supervision out of 3.7 million people total, as reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in Probation and Parole in the United States, 2024. ↩
An estimated 13.7% of the U.S. population is Black (not including people of two or more races). For more information, see U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: United States. ↩
48% of people on probation and 41% of people on parole during the past year reported a mild, moderate, or severe substance use disorder during the past 12 months, based on data in the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). ↩
In some states, probation is operated at a more local level, so standard conditions may vary across jurisdictions in the same state. In a 2024 survey of probation conditions across all 50 states and D.C., we identified nine additional states where the most populous counties also imposed probation fees. For more information, see One Size Fits None: Appendix 2: Probation fees in standard conditions. ↩
Punishing Poverty: The high cost of probation fees in Massachusetts
Punishing Poverty: The high cost of probation fees in Massachusetts
Grading the parole release systems of all 50 states
Grading the parole release systems of all 50 states
Eight Keys to Mercy: How to shorten excessive prison sentences
Eight Keys to Mercy: How to shorten excessive prison sentences
Collateral consequences
Collateral consequences
Women and gender
Women and gender
