Intermediate sanctions

Most American jurisdictions have recently established new intermediate sanctions programs. Few such programs have diverted large numbers of offenders from prison, saved public monies or prison beds, or reduced recidivism rates. These findings recur in evaluations of community service, intensive supervision, house arrest, day reporting centers, and boot camps. The principal problems have been high rates of revocation and subsequent incarceration (often 40-50 percent) and assignment of less serious offenders than program developers contemplated. If intermediate sanctions are to achieve their aims, means must be found to assure that they are used for the kinds of offenders for whom they are designed.