REDUCING REVOCATIONS CHALLENGE (RRC) End PHASE 2:
In 2019, Arnold Ventures and the City University of New York Institute for State and Local Governance launched the Reducing Revocations Challenge, a national initiative dedicated to transforming probation supervision and reducing unnecessary failures that contribute to mass incarceration. For the Reducing Revocations Challenge (RRC) Phase 1, Arnold Ventures funded research in ten jurisdictions across the United States, including Monroe County, IN, to examine the drivers behind probation revocations. The challenge supported action research in the selected jurisdictions to better understand why revocations occur and how they can be prevented. Monroe County, IN completed the RRC Phase 1 in June 2021. See findings from Monroe County, Indiana, Final Report (June 30, 2021)
Monroe County and its research partners were chosen as one of only five sites from Phase 1 of the Reducing Revocations Challenge to continue with Phase 2 of the Challenge. In this second phase, Arnold Ventures provided funding to support training for probation officers and other interventions to disrupt pathways that lead to revocation, and ultimately increase client success on community supervision. During Phase 2, from September 2021 to September 2023, the Monroe Circuit Court Probation Department implemented interventions to interrupt probation revocations and track their impact. Because an average probation case lasts between one and two years, we will not have a full picture of the impact of interventions until probationers sentenced under the old norms have processed out, and we can collect data on the experiences of a full group of probationers sentenced under the new norms. Nonetheless, the implementation phase yields critical insights. Our final report covers what we have learned in Phase 2, including both the “how to” of driving policy change through action–research, and some interesting preliminary data.
(1) The full report: Indiana Probation Policy Brief
(2) A short summary of the lessons learned: Indiana Probation Policy Brief Takeaways
Acknowledgements: This research was made possible by funding from Arnold Ventures and with support from CUNY ISLG. Applied research is a collaborative endeavor; it is not possible without the participation of many stakeholders. We are grateful for the assistance and cooperation of Monroe Circuit Court Probation department, as well as the judges, attorneys, and community members who made this work possible. We would also like to thank Emma Stone and Justice System Partners.
Citation: Northcutt Bohmert, Miriam, Troy Hatfield, Michelle Ying, Eric Grommon, and Evan Lowder (2023). “Reducing Revocations Challenge: Phase 2 Policy Brief. Monroe County, Indiana.” Indiana University.