For people involved in non-violent criminal cases, supervision not only presents a second chance at a productive life but saves taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars compared to the costs associated with incarceration, according to figures compiled by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
In fiscal year 2024, detaining a person before trial and then incarcerating them post-conviction was roughly 10 times more costly than supervising an individual in the community. Placing an individual in a residential reentry center was about nine times more costly than community supervision.
“Supervision is an effective and affordable alternative to incarceration that achieves similar public safety outcomes in cases not involving violent crime,” said John Fitzgerald, who leads the national U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services office. “Officers use evidence-based practices to evaluate risk, need, and responsivity in an effort to promote public safety and long-term positive change in people’s lives. And taxpayer dollars are saved as a result.”