Use of Structured Sanctions and Incentives in Probation and Parole Supervision

Key points of this brief:

• The use of sanction grids or matrices to respond to client behavior has not been shown to have a significant impact on recidivism outcomes. There are no evaluations of grids/matrices that include both sanctions and incentives.
• The use of sanction grids/matrices are associated with better uses of agency resources and reduced use of jail or prison sanctions.
• There is strong evidence that the use of incentives by supervising officers produces improved supervision outcomes for individuals convicted of more serious offenses and people classified as higher risk to reoffend.
• Implementation challenges can interfere with the effectiveness of structured sanction and incentive policies.