"It's Technical": Exploring the Determinents to Technical Probation Revocations Among Felony Probationers

• Main Author: Dixon, Ashford Leon
• Other Authors: Blackburn, Ashley
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Texas 2011
• Subjects: Technical; probation; revocation
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67976/

Within the United States, probation has customarily been used as a way to divert offenders away from prison. Over the past two decades the number of offenders who are sentenced to probation has increased tremendously. While there have been more offenders sentenced to probation, there has also been an increase in the number of probationers having that sentence revoked. The most prevalent type of revocation is a technical revocation. Probationers receive technical violations culminating in a revocation when they fail to satisfy the conditions of their probation sentence such as attending rehabilitative programming. The present study adds to the literature on technical revocations by examining characteristics of felony probationers from a large Southern state who were revoked between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Findings revealed that female probationers, older probationers, white probationers, and those probationers who had not completed high school were significantly more likely to be revoked for a technical revocation. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research based on these findings are discussed.