Probation and Parole in the United States, 2013

Bureau of Justice StatisticsThis report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics provides a summary of the total number of adults in the United States under community supervision in 2013. Between the end of 2012 and the end of 2013, the number of adults under community supervision dropped by about 29,900 individuals to 4,751,400. The probation population had declined by about 32,200. The parole population, on the other hand, experienced a slight increase of 2,100 individuals. The significant decrease of probationers was largely attributed to individuals completing their term of supervision or receiving an early discharge. Changes in the population from 2012 to 2013 are consistent with five-year trend from 2007 to 2013, where community supervision and probation rates declined and parole rates fluctuated.

The report also highlights California’s Public Safety Realignment (PSR), a policy that took effect in October 2011 and makes individuals serving time in state prisons for nonviolent, non-serious, and/or non-sexual offenses eligible for post-release community supervision rather than traditional state parole. Under PSR, the parole population in California decreased by 64 percent from 2010 to 2013. This significant decrease offset the overall 4.1 percent parole population increase experienced by other jurisdictions.

To view the report, click here.