Policing/Incarceration
State-level changes in probation and parole rates and Black / White disparities in the 21st century Hedwig Lee* Brenda Bustos David Rigby Ruth Wygle Joan Casey Alison Gemmill Allison Stolte Ralph Catalano Tim Bruckner Hedwig Lee
Although public health has increasingly studied the collateral consequences of prison and jail incarceration, we know little about the health consequences of other forms of criminal legal system contact and supervision, including probation and parole. Understanding spatial and racial-ethnic variation in probation and parole across US states can provide new insights into how carceral supervision impacts population health and health disparities. However, information on state-level probation and parole have not been adequately described. Using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the US Census for the years 2001 and 2018, we provide a novel description of state-year variation in the rates of parole and probation supervision and the racial (Black-White) disparities in these rates. At the national level from 2001 to 2018, the probation population decreased and the racial composition of the probation population remained steady (roughly 30% Black and 55% White). However, there was broad state-level variation in Black and White probation population over time. In all but five states, the Black-White gap in probation rates declined between 2001 and 2018. Similarly, the Black-White gap in parole rates has declined in all but seven states since 2001. The parole population was 41.9% Black and 35.5% White in 2001, but 33.5% Black and 42.8% White in 2018.The shrinking Black-White gaps might indicate preferential provision of probation and parole favoring White people, while disproportionately retaining Black people in prison and jail. The potential population health implications of these race-specific changes over time warrant further investigation.
