Caseload and Workload Standards

Finding the “optimum” or “ideal” caseloads for parole and probation officers has long been a central concern for corrections agencies. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), dramatic increases in the overall number of offenders entering local community corrections systems and a higher proportion of high-risk offenders placed under community supervision, coupled with the increasing number of correctional requirements placed on offenders, have led to increasing concerns over workload allocations for parole and probation officers. A caseload is the total number of offenders assigned to a probation or parole officer for supervision. A workload is the total amount of time that it takes an officer to perform the supervision tasks stemming from the caseload. Historically, the caseload standard has been the predominant model used by state and local corrections agencies to make caseload and workload allocation decisions. The caseload standard uses a formulaic method to establish a set number of clients who are assigned to each officer. Although the caseload standard has traditionally been accepted by officers and administrators, the model is increasingly being criticized for failing to account for the increased workload demands that officers have experienced in the past few decades.

Since the 1950s, corrections professionals have explored alternative models for allocating caseloads to parole and probation officers; however, caseload standards continue to be the predominant model. Workload standards have become the most viable alternative model, which allocates caseloads based on workload measures. Workload standards estimate the amount of time that it takes an officer to complete each task, accounts for workload discrepancies between different types of clients, and assigns caseloads accordingly. Workload standards offer a number of benefits, such as enabling an agency to allocate resources more appropriately and efficiently, providing data for budget justification and modification, and enhancing the overall effectiveness and accountability of corrections agencies. An increasing number of local corrections agencies are adopting the workload model because it offers many advantages over traditional caseload [Page 38]standards; however, most agencies continue to use the traditional caseload model.