The correlates of supervised release outcomes in a federal jurisdiction: A comparison of offenders who were revoked and successfully terminated under the United States sentencing guidelines from 1998--2002

The overall objective of this study was to add to the relatively small body of research on federal supervised release outcomes. More specifically, the objective was to determine whether certain individual characteristics and prior criminal records are associated with federal supervised release revocation. By obtaining profiles of those offenders most at risk of returning to prison, it is hoped that the bulk of correctional treatment resources can be targeted at this group of offenders at the outset of supervised release in order to protect the community and reduce the incidence of revocation. Using data on both revoked offenders and those who completed their supervision in the Southern District of Iowa United States Probation Office from 1998 through 2002, the present study tested several hypotheses concerning the main effects of revocation.; The results of the study suggest that male offenders are more likely to be revoked than females, that the unemployed are more likely to be revoked than the employed, and that those offenders who use illicit drugs during supervision are more likely to be revoked than those who abstain from illicit drug use. Additionally, those offenders who had been revoked from a previous term of state supervision were more prone to be revoked during the current federal term of supervised release as compared to those offenders who had never been revoked before. Finally, offenders who had intermediate sanctions imposed during supervised release were more likely to be revoked than those offenders who did not have sanctions imposed during the present term of supervision.