Probation, Parole, and Intermediate Sanctions - Essay Example

Probation, parole, and intermediate sanctions Law enforcement agencies employ varieties of avenues for reducing crime rates and promoting correctional initiatives and rehabilitation of criminals. Probation, parole, and intermediate sanctions are some of the avenues through which these objectives can be achieved. Under probation, a convict is allowed into the society but is subjected to supervision by an appointed authority. The probation prescribes the convicts expected conducts during the probation period.

Large number of probates however overwhelms supervisors (Barkan, and Bryjack, 2011). Intermediate sanctions however provide more strict conditions and supervision on convicts as compared to probation. The system also ensures efficient supervision through “boot camps that place offenders in quasi military settings, electronic monitoring, and house arrests” (Barkan, and Bryjack, 2012, p. 410). There are however high number of violation of conditions of intermediate sanctions, leading to revocation of the sanctions into imprisonment.

Parole is on the other hand a supervisory provision over a convict who has been released from prison before expiry of the imprisonment period (Barkan, and Bryjack, 2011). One similarity of the three approaches is the provision for supervision of the convicts. The systems are however different with respect to their level of supervision and terms of approach. While probation involves basic supervision that is overwhelmed, parole is more closely monitored and intermediate sanctions are strictly monitored with the aid of equipments and facilities (Barkan, and Bryjack, 2011).

Based on the features of the approaches, intermediary sanctions is the best because its supervision is the most effective as aided by facilities and monitored environments (Barkan, and Bryjack, 2011). One of the diversities identified within the correctional processes is the level of strictness in application. Supervision in probation is for example basic, intensified in parole, and extremely strict in intermediary sanctions (Barkan, and Bryjack, 2011). Reference Barkan, S. and Bryjack, G. (2011).

Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View. Ontario, Canada: Jones & Bartlett Learning