Embedded Files
Our Special Topics Section provides comprehensive coverage of challenges in the field, connecting research to the public.
Take a deep dive into the pressing challenges that confront the field of community supervision. In this section, you'll find comprehensive coverage of these challenges, bridging the gap between research and the public. We connect the dots, providing insights into how research findings can address real-world issues. Our Special Topics section is your gateway to understanding the complexities, nuances, and innovative solutions that define modern community supervision.
This report examines average probation sentence lengths for active felony cases in Georgia, broken down by sentence type and supervision level. It explores trends in straight versus split sentences, the frequency of multiple probation terms, and the stability of average sentence lengths over time. It also highlights DCS’s data-driven model, which uses risk and need assessments to guide supervision strategies. Together, these insights provide a clearer picture of how felony probation is structured and managed.
Average Sentence Length
Average Sentence Length
The Average Probation Length was calculated as the sum of the length for all active felony probation cases in years divided by the total number of active felony probation cases.
As shown in the chart to the right, the average for all probation sentence types has remained fairly consistent since 2017.
Types of Sentences
Types of Sentences
There are two types of probation sentences: Either an individual is sentenced ‘straight’ to probation or they are ordered a ‘split’ sentence, which entails prison with probation to follow.
Of the 122,490 probation cases in 2024, 64% were on straight probation.
It is not unusual for probationers to have more than one active case.
As of September 1, 2024, there were 25,289 (20%) individuals simultaneously serving multiple probation sentences.
Supervision Level
Supervision Level
To maximize resources and create the greatest chances for success among probationers, DCS leverages technology and data to assign supervision levels by risk and need. In addition to front-loading resources during the first 90 days of supervision, reporting requirements decrease and increase based on an individual's progress.
The chart to the left provides a breakdown of average probation sentence lengths by supervision levels.
If a probationer was simultaneously serving probation sentences on multiple cases, the sum of all sentences was used when calculating averages.
Over the past few years, Georgia has experienced an increase in the number of serious violent crimes reported to law enforcement. A larger number of serious violent crimes were reported in 2021 compared to the three previous years across all offense types except robbery, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Georgia Crime Information Center Reported Serious Violent Incidents
Table 1: Georgia Crime Information Center Reported Serious Violent Incidents
There has been an interest among state legislators in determining whether people under felony supervision are responsible for the rise in serious violent crime. An analysis by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center of four years of arrest trends for people on Department of Community Supervision (DCS) caseloads examined whether criminal activity by this population has changed during the past few years.
The results of the analysis suggest that the behavior of people on felony supervision has not changed, and their arrests for serious violent crimes remained largely consistent over this period. Overall, arrests of people on DCS caseloads averaged approximately 10 percent of all reported serious violent crimes over the four- year period and averaged 35 percent of all arrests in the state.
Figure 1 and Figure 2: Statewide Trends for Reported Homicide and Rape Offenses, Arrests and Arrests of Individuals on DCS Supervision
Figure 1 and Figure 2: Statewide Trends for Reported Homicide and Rape Offenses, Arrests and Arrests of Individuals on DCS Supervision
Figure 1 shows that although the number of reported homicides increased significantly in 2021 compared to prior years, the number of arrests of individuals on DCS caseloads was consistent with prior years. The same holds true for rape (Figure 2) and aggravated assault (Figure 4). The only exception to this trend is robberies (Figure 3), which have declined both in terms of reported incidence and in arrests.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Homicide Trends
Figure 2
Figure 2
Rape Trends
Figure 3 and Figure 4: Statewide Trends for Reported Robbery and Aggravated Assault Offenses, Arrests, and Arrests of Individuals on DCS Supervision
Figure 3 and Figure 4: Statewide Trends for Reported Robbery and Aggravated Assault Offenses, Arrests, and Arrests of Individuals on DCS Supervision
Figure 3
Figure 3
Robbery Trends
Figure 4
Figure 4
Aggravated Assault Trends
The number of people on DCS caseloads arrested for a serious violent offense as a proportion of the entire DCS population has also remained consistent. Each year, only 1 percent of the total number of individuals on felony supervision are arrested for serious violent crimes, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2: CSG Justice Center Analysis of Individuals on DCS Caseloads Arrested for Serious Violent Crime
Table 2: CSG Justice Center Analysis of Individuals on DCS Caseloads Arrested for Serious Violent Crime
In summation, this analysis did not find any evidence that the DCS population is responsible for the increases in serious violent crime over the past four years.
Page updated
Report abuse