Dosage Probation

The Second Chance Act of 2007 provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison and jail and returning to communities, including resources to address the myriad needs of these offenders to achieve a successful return to their communities. The FY 2012 appropriations under the Second Chance Act made funding available for Smart Probation projects, in addition to providing federal awards to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for demonstration reentry projects. The goal of the Smart Probation Program is to improve probation success rates, which will improve public safety, reduce returns to prisons and jails, and save taxpayer dollars. Grant funds can be used to implement evidence-based supervision strategies to improve outcomes for probationers.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections will use the grant funds to pilot an innovative concept called dosage probation wherein select probationers will be sentenced to a period of dosage probation and afforded the opportunity to earn termination from supervision by accomplishing particular risk-reducing objectives. This project will be a joint effort between the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the Milwaukee County Community Justice Council. It will be launched as a pilot project in select units of Wisconsin Department of Corrections' largest probation district (Milwaukee County) with the intent of demonstrating the project's efficacy and expanding its use throughout the state probation system.

CA/NCF