Implementing Automated Kiosk Reporting for Low - Risk Probationers : Does It Work ?

Community supervision agencies have been increasingly burdened during the past three decades — supervision caseloads have increased significantly, more high-risk offenders have been sentenced to probation or released to parole, and operating budgets have remained stagnant . The natural consequence of increased caseloads comprised of higher-risk offenders combined with insufficient resources is an increased threat to public safety . To help address these issues, New York City Probation implemented an automated reporting system, or kiosks, for low-risk probationers. Implementing the kiosk system enabled a significant redistribution of limited resources, maintaining, and in some instances, greatly improving both organizational efficiency and probationer outcomes . In this assessment of the use of the kiosk system as a community supervision strategy, we address criticisms of the kiosk system by focusing on how automated reporting allowed probation to increase supervision of the highest-risk probationers, how supervision practices are enhanced through better data collection, and how improvements in some recidivism outcomes were associated with implementation .