Four studies of medium and high research quality have examined the use of sanctions grids by parole and probation departments; however, only two examined the effect on recidivism. These studies show that there is no effect of the use of sanction grids/matrices on re-offending, compared to the use unstructured supervision policies. However, there is promising evidence that the use of sanctions grids/matrices provide for a better use of agency resources and lower the use of custodial (i.e., prison or jail) sanctions. It should be mentioned that all studies noted at least some issues with implementation, which complicates evaluation of their effects.
Research in Brief Use of Structured Sanctions and Incentives in Probation and Parole Supervision
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