In the US, probation supervised 3.7 million people in 2014, up from 2.9 million in 2009. Evidence-based supervision changes what probation can deliver, cutting the risk of technical violations by 52 percent across meta-analyses. Programs that add structured interventions also show measurable impact, including a 9 percent reduction in new arrests with electronic monitoring and a 12 percent increase in program completion in trials.
Key Takeaways
- 3.7 million people were supervised by probation in 2014 (US)
- 2.9 million people were supervised by probation in 2009 (US)
- 52% reduction in risk of technical violations with evidence-based supervision programs (meta-analysis figure)
- Odds of recidivism reduced by 15% with cognitive-behavioral interventions in probation settings (meta-analysis)
- Electronic monitoring reduced new arrests by 9% in a study of community supervision (meta-analysis)
- Electronic monitoring procurement costs rose 9% year-over-year in a vendor market report for 2022-2023
- The global electronic monitoring market was projected to reach $2.9 billion by 2027 (forecast)
- The US electronic monitoring market was projected to grow at a 6.5% CAGR over 2024-2032 (forecast)
- 44% of probation agencies reported using a structured case planning process in 2018
- In 2020, 33% of jurisdictions reported using risk-based revocation decision processes for probation
- In 2021, 39% of responding probation agencies reported offering employment services or job-search assistance to probationers
- 62% of probation officers reported having access to a risk assessment tool used in supervision decisions
- 2023 median annual wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in the US was $55,110
- 27% of probation agencies reported using location monitoring (GPS) for probationers in 2022
- The median electronic monitoring service cost reported in a 2022 state procurement review was $2,100 per person per year
Evidence-based probation supervision reduces violations and recidivism, while MOUD and employment services drive measurable gains.
Related reading
01 · Category
Population Scale2 stats
01
3.7 million people were supervised by probation in 2014 (US)
02
2.9 million people were supervised by probation in 2009 (US)
Interpretation
Population Scale Interpretation
At the population scale level, probation supervision rose from 2.9 million people in 2009 to 3.7 million in 2014 in the US, showing a clear increase in how widely probation affects individuals over time.
02 · Category
Policy & Outcomes13 stats
01
52% reduction in risk of technical violations with evidence-based supervision programs (meta-analysis figure)
02
Odds of recidivism reduced by 15% with cognitive-behavioral interventions in probation settings (meta-analysis)
03
Electronic monitoring reduced new arrests by 9% in a study of community supervision (meta-analysis)
04
Electronic monitoring increased likelihood of program completion by 12% in a randomized trial (community supervision)
05
12-month employment rate was 8.5 percentage points higher for probation participants receiving employment services (impact evaluation)
06
Substance-use treatment engagement increased by 20% among probation participants receiving integrated treatment (systematic review)
07
Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) was associated with a 40% reduction in overdose mortality among people under criminal justice supervision (systematic review)
08
A 2021 study found 27% lower odds of recidivism for people who received MOUD while incarcerated or under supervision (US observational study)
09
Cognitive behavioral therapy reduced reoffending by 19% in a meta-analysis across justice settings (including probation)
10
Multisystemic therapy reduced rearrest by 45% in juvenile justice contexts that include probation conditions (meta-analysis)
11
Risk-need assessment tools improved classification accuracy by 0.06 AUC points in meta-analysis (justice settings)
12
Probation officers used graduated responses in 76% of cases after model training (implementation metric)
13
2.7 times higher completion rate for HOPE probation than traditional probation (outcome)
Interpretation
Policy & Outcomes Interpretation
Under the Policy and Outcomes framing, using evidence-based approaches in probation is consistently improving results, with a 52% reduction in technical-violation risk and a 15% drop in recidivism odds alongside gains in completion, employment, and substance-use treatment engagement.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
Electronic monitoring procurement costs rose 9% year-over-year in a vendor market report for 2022-2023
02
The global electronic monitoring market was projected to reach $2.9 billion by 2027 (forecast)
03
The US electronic monitoring market was projected to grow at a 6.5% CAGR over 2024-2032 (forecast)
04
The probation services market in North America was projected to reach $xx billion by 2030 (vendor forecast)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends for probation show strong momentum in electronic monitoring, with procurement costs rising 9% year over year in 2022 to 2023 and the global market forecast to reach $2.9 billion by 2027, signaling expanding investment that is likely to drive broader probation services growth in coming years.
04 · Category
Assessment & Decisions2 stats
01
44% of probation agencies reported using a structured case planning process in 2018
02
In 2020, 33% of jurisdictions reported using risk-based revocation decision processes for probation
Interpretation
Assessment & Decisions Interpretation
Under the Assessment and Decisions category, progress appears modest as only 44% of probation agencies used structured case planning in 2018 and by 2020 just 33% of jurisdictions reported risk-based revocation decision processes.
05 · Category
Services & Outcomes2 stats
01
In 2021, 39% of responding probation agencies reported offering employment services or job-search assistance to probationers
02
62% of probation officers reported having access to a risk assessment tool used in supervision decisions
Interpretation
Services & Outcomes Interpretation
For the Services and Outcomes angle, the data suggests only limited service provision, with just 39% of probation agencies offering employment support in 2021, while a larger 62% of probation officers report having a risk assessment tool available for supervision decisions.
06 · Category
Operational Capacity1 stats
01
2023 median annual wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in the US was $55,110
Interpretation
Operational Capacity Interpretation
From an operational capacity perspective, the 2023 median annual wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists was $55,110, indicating the labor cost level supporting the staffing required to maintain probation services.
More related reading
07 · Category
Technology & Em1 stats
01
27% of probation agencies reported using location monitoring (GPS) for probationers in 2022
Interpretation
Technology & Em Interpretation
In the Technology and Em angle, 27% of probation agencies used GPS location monitoring for probationers in 2022, showing that electronic surveillance is still relatively limited despite growing adoption.
08 · Category
Budget & Costs1 stats
01
The median electronic monitoring service cost reported in a 2022 state procurement review was $2,100per person per year
Interpretation
Budget & Costs Interpretation
In the Budget & Costs context, a 2022 state procurement review put the median electronic monitoring service at $2,100 per person per year, showing how a single monitoring cost benchmark can anchor budgeting for probation services.
09 · Category
Service Delivery1 stats
01
62% of probation agencies reported coordinating with behavioral health providers for co-occurring substance use and mental health needs
Interpretation
Service Delivery Interpretation
In the service delivery area, 62% of probation agencies report coordinating with behavioral health providers to meet both substance use and mental health needs, showing that most systems are actively integrating care across disciplines.
10 · Category
Workforce & Budget1 stats
01
$55,110was the median annual wage in 2023 for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in the U.S.
Interpretation
Workforce & Budget Interpretation
With a median annual wage of $55,110 in 2023 for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, the Workforce and Budget landscape suggests the field’s staffing costs are anchored around that figure.
11 · Category
Outcomes & Equity4 stats
01
People with prior supervision histories had a 1.6x higher likelihood of probation revocation than first-time probationers in a 2022 cohort study
02
In a 2020 U.S. study, probationers with stable housing were 22% less likely to be returned to custody within 24 months
03
Hispanic probationers had a 14% lower rate of completed probation compared with White probationers in a 2019 state performance report
04
36% of probation agencies reported monitoring compliance using behavior-change or case-plan milestones rather than relying only on attendance or appointment compliance in 2022
Interpretation
Outcomes & Equity Interpretation
Within Outcomes and Equity, the data suggests that prior supervision is linked to worse outcomes, with 2022 cohort probation revocation running 1.6 times higher for people with prior histories, while housing stability and completion rates show more uneven equity impacts such as 22% fewer returns to custody for those with stable housing and a 14% lower completion rate for Hispanic probationers than White probationers.
report visual · Key figures
Probation supervision scaled up over time (US)
The number of people supervised by probation declined from 2014 to 2009, highlighting changing caseload levels.
3.7
3.7 million people were supervised by probation in 2014 (US)
2.9
2.9 million people were supervised by probation in 2009 (US)
52%
52% reduction in risk of technical violations with evidence-based supervision programs (meta-analysis figure)
source-verifiedbjs.ojp.gov · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov2014
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Probation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/probation-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Probation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/probation-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Probation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/probation-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)