Explain how neighborhood-based supervision (NBS) is different from traditional community supervision, and then argue for the use of neighborhood-based probation supervision over traditional methods. In what situations might NBS be most useful?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In neighborhood-based supervision (NBS), the probation officers conduct the supervision and implement the case plan by being more visible and having a strong community presence. The elements of NBS include assignment of offenders according to zip code or type of offense (or both) and developing community partnerships with police, treatment providers, and faith-based initiatives. Cases are assigned to officers according to geographic beat areas in a community, which is ideal for using geographic information systems (GIS) technology. NBS sites started in Boston; Phoenix; Tucson; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Waco, Texas; and Spokane, Washington. Preliminary evaluations of these sites compared probationers supervised in the NBS program, which had smaller caseloads, with probationers supervised using traditional probation. An evaluation of one site indicated that probationers supervised in the NBS program perceived more support and help from their probation officers in finding employment and in making connections to treatment providers than did probationers supervised on traditional caseloads. NBS officers had more autonomy and a closer connection with police and the community than traditional probation officers, but relationships with treatment service providers were similar for both groups. NBS probationers were more likely to violate technical conditions of probation than were traditional probationers, yet both groups committed a similar number of new crimes while on supervision. Overall recidivism rates between the two groups were not significantly different (Lutze, Smith, & Lovrich, 2004). Evaluations of the other sites need to be completed to obtain a more complete picture of NBS.