A new report from the Michigan Supreme Court says a specialty probation program is reducing unemployment and recividism rates among its graduates.
The Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program targets medium to high-risk felony offenders who have a history of probation violations and failures. According to the report, unemployment among graduates of the program was reduced by more than two-thirds.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Clement spoke with WCMU's Mike Horace about the report:
Clement says the program allows for probation officers to intervene immediately after a probation violation, and ultimately, help get the probationer back on track.
"What we've seen is that early intervention, especially with medium to high-risk offenders, is very effective," she said. "Early on, they know 'oh I can go to jail for this,' so they're less likely to continue to violate their probation."