Chapter 15
Covering Community Corrections: Probation, Parole and Beyond: Story Ideas
By Jenifer Warren

1. Do a feature story on how probation or parole officers work (sometimes they are the same people). How do they manage big caseloads, how do they decide which violations require a hearing and possible sanctions, what are the security issues? A "day in the life" approach works well here.
2. How well does electronic monitoring work? Can convicts easily evade it? How much do these systems cost? What does the research show about which groups of offenders are the best candidates? Are the companies that make the equipment donating to politicians approving the expanded use of the technology? What is life like for a parolee wearing a monitoring bracelet?
3. Who actually makes the release decisions in your state and how do they do it? Is it automatic parole after x amount of time has been served, or is there discretion exercised by a parole board?
   • If there is discretion used, do observers (prosecutors, defense lawyers, convict families, victims) believe it is done fairly or erratically?
   • Look at the parole board records and determine a rate of parole. How has it changed over time? If the governor appoints the board, compare the parole rates of different governors. If the governor has veto power, look at his record and compare to other governors. What justifies the difference? Is it all "politics?"
4. How much preparation do inmates get for release? At least one state (Arizona) claims to start prepping inmates for release the day they enter prison. Other may still release people with only a small sum of money and one set of clothes.
   • Are inmates in your state released directly from the SHU (security housing unit, which often is 23-hour lockdown) to the streets? If so, what is their rate of re-offending? What are the dangers of this sort of abrupt transition?
5. How well does prisoner re-entry work in your area? Examine major services (or lack thereof) for housing, jobs, medical care, etc. Is your area benefiting, or likely to, from the federal Second Chance Act?
6. Focus on ex-convict jobs. Do some employers automatically reject those with criminal records? Do others take them, and with what success? How much do old criminal records (i.e., not the most recent charge) affect hiring? Profile an agency that helps parolees find work — highlight success stories and some failures.
7. Take a close look at recidivism data of specific programs: Is it tracked elaborately or just casually (e.g.., "we have only heard of X percent of our program's graduates being re-arrested in the last year”-but is there an active effort to check such records in more than one jurisdiction)? Tell stories of successes and failures.