tencing makes probation appear overly permissive" (Anderson, 1985, p. 281).
Basically, probation is a contract which the court makes with an offender, where the offender agrees to various conditions, such as finding work, checking in with a probation officer to report progress, and getting permission before going across certain geographical boundaries (Allen, et. al., 1985, p. 281). Failure to live up to these conditions can result in the offender's incarceration. The philosophy behind probation is a chance for an accused individual to change personal behavior in order to prove that the individual is able and willing to abide by society's norms, thus becoming a "productive" member of that society. The success of probation is often based upon what is termed a rate of recidivism, which is the number of persons on probation who commit another criminal offense.
Proponents of probation claim that it serves several functions for society. Although the original purpose was considered rehabilitation, its primary function today is to relieve prison or jail overcrowding. "Probation re-routes offenders who otherwise would raise prison overcrowding conditions above constitutionally permissible limits and into the 'cruel and unusual punishment' range" (Champion, 1988, p. 11). However,
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