First, the percentage of offenders sentenced directly to community supervision (probation) decreased, and the percentage of offenders sentenced to prison terms with required supervised release increased. The inmates released from BOP prisons in fiscal years 1997 through 2001 may include a greater number of higher risk offenders than the population released through fiscal year 1996. Figure 4 shows that, in fiscal years 1991 through 1995, the number of offenders sentenced in the three most serious criminal history categories—IV, V, and VI—grew at greater rates than did the number of offenders with less serious criminal histories. Figure 5 shows that, between fiscal years 1992 and 1996, the number of offenders with special conditions remained relatively stable. Figure 6 shows that, between fiscal years 1990 and 1996, the number of offenders removed from supervision for violating the terms of their supervision increased from 7,360 to 8,922 (about 21 percent). As shown in more detail in table 4, in fiscal years 1990 through 1996, from 9 to 10 percent of the total federal supervision population were removed from their supervision annually because they had violated their terms. Specifically, we determined trends in (1) the growth of the total supervision population and any changes in the composition of that population by type of supervision; (2) the number of offenders who had special conditions imposed on their term of supervision, such as home confinement or drug treatment; and (3) the number of persons who were removed from supervision for violating the terms of their supervision. Offender serves term of supervised release violates conditions? Changes in the Federal Community Supervision Population

As shown in table III.1, the federal community supervision population rose by about 10 percent between fiscal years 1990 and 1996. Overall, the postprison population increased 94 percent during the same period. Offenders on supervised release are supervised by probation officers.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reviewed the trends in the number of federal offenders serving terms of community supervision during fiscal years 1990 through 1996, focusing on: (1) the growth of the total supervision population and any changes in the composition of that population by type of supervision; (2) the number of offenders who had special conditions imposed on their terms of supervision, such as home confinement or drug treatment; and (3) the number of persons who were removed from supervision for violating the terms of their supervision.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) the total population of federal offenders under community supervision rose 10 percent during fiscal years 1990 and 1996; (2) the most notable change in the mix of this population occurred in the percentage of offenders serving a term of community supervision following a prison term; (3) specifically, the probation population decreased about 35 percent, while those on postprison supervision rose 94 percent; (4) the increase in the postprison supervision population is entirely due to the large increase in the number of offenders on supervised release; (5) during fiscal years 1991 through 1995, the number of offenders sentenced with serious criminal histories grew at a significantly greater rate than did those with less serious criminal histories; (6) further, available data suggest that inmates released from the Bureau of Prisons prisons in fiscal years 1997 through 2001 may include a greater number of high-risk offenders than did the population released through fiscal year 1996; (7) the total number of offenders with special conditions remained relatively stable between fiscal years 1992 and 1996; (8) in addition, the total number of offenders removed from supervision for violating their terms of supervision increased by nearly 18 percent between fiscal years 1990 and 1996; (9) to the extent that the trends continue in the: (a) mix of offenders under federal supervision; (b) number of offenders sentenced with more serious criminal histories; and (c) number of offenders removed from supervision due to violations, the workload of probation officers would likely increase; and (10) if the trend in the number of offenders with special conditions remains stable, it would not likely affect the workload of probation officers.