Intensive Probation

Abstract

Intensive probation is an intermediate sanction administered in the community. It is often considered to be a punishment that straddles the divide between community sanctions and custodial sentences in terms of severity. The rationale provided for the introduction of intensive probation is that it could potentially contribute to relieving a prison infrastructure buckling under the weight of decades of increasing incarceration. Intensive probation varies in design and execution but often encompasses a mix of frequent contact with corrections supervisors, access to treatment, community facilities, and constant monitoring facilitated by an increasingly sophisticated range of surveillance technologies.