- 1). Examine recidivism rates of individuals discharged from probation. Compare the frequency by which people in your jurisdiction once on probation reoffend in contrast to those who were incarcerated.
- 2). Identify the frequency with which people commit new crimes while on probation. Inasmuch as probation, like incarceration, aims to prevent people from committing new crimes, an analysis of this statistic is fundamental in determining the overall effectiveness of probation.
- 3). Because the use of intoxicating substances can lead to many different crimes, ascertain the sobriety levels, or lack thereof, of individuals currently on and who have completed probation.
- 4). Interview probation officers. Obtaining information from these officials provides insights into the overall operation and effects of the probation system itself.
- 5). Question both people currently on probation and those who have completed the process. Like probation officers, these men and women provide an important perspective on the operation and effectiveness of probation.
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