heir own estimates, at least 25 percent higher than they are capable of giving even minimal levels of attention (DiIulio, 1997, p. 41).
As probation officer Joe Ward of Escambia County points out, the overwhelming number of misdemeanor probationers get very little assistance in "breaking the cycle" of crime in which they become involved even though it is well understood that counseling and treatment programs are key to such results in a very large number of cases. Nationally the criminal justice system spends an average of less than $200 dollars on supervision per probationer and, while the courts have stipulated that over 90 percent of probationers receive substance abuse counseling, pay restitution to victims, or meet some requirement other than basic reporting, more than half that number do not fulfill the court mandates (DiIulio, 1997, p. 41). Mr. Ward added that it is important to remember that the amount of time and resources that have to be devoted to the supervision of an individual often bear little relation to the severity of the crime
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