Arizona Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts—Adult Probation

The Arizona Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), is responsible for providing state-wide administration and oversight of Arizona’s adult probation system. The AOC has implemented processes to help administer and oversee the State’s 15 adult probation departments, including implementing evidence-based practices, state-wide standards and guidelines, and conducting operational reviews of adult probation departments. We found that the AOC can strengthen its oversight by more effectively using the data it collects to improve program outcomes and by improving its operational review process. In addition, Arizona’s adult probation departments are supervising an increasing number of probationers who have been released from prison to probation and who are at a higher risk for committing new crimes, known as the reentry probationer population. Although efforts to address this population’s specific needs have been primarily confined to the adult probation department in Maricopa County, the AOC has begun a series of long-term projects to address this population’s needs state-wide. The AOC should complete the development and implementation of these projects and take additional steps to assist adult probation departments in meeting this population’s needs.