What Is Community Corrections?
Written by:
Appalachian State University
• Oct 24, 2025
The American prison system faces an ongoing crisis. A 2024 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found that more than 1.2 million people were serving time in U.S. prisons in 2023. Although this reflects a decline from the peak of approximately 1.6 million, it still represents a dramatic increase from 1970, when the prison population was slightly under 200,000. The rapid growth of the prison population has led to overcrowded prisons with insufficient space and staff, contributing to higher levels of violence, disease and mental health challenges among inmates.
One approach to alleviate overcrowding and related issues is through the use of community corrections. This alternative strategy emphasizes rehabilitation through community-based programs rather than prison confinement. By helping offenders change their behavior outside a prison setting, community corrections aims to decrease the prison population and lower recidivism rates. For students pursuing an undergraduate degree, such as App State Online’s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ), community corrections is a progressive criminal justice concept that’s important to understand.
Community Corrections at a Glance
Community corrections refers to rehabilitation programs that supervise convicted individuals outside a traditional jail or prison setting. Participants may be serving their sentences within the community, or they may have already completed a prison term and are transitioning back into society.
The goals of community corrections are threefold: to reduce prison overcrowding, lower reoffending rates and build communal structures and networks that can foster successful reintegration into society.
What Are Community Corrections Programs?
The two major types of community corrections are probation and parole. In both, convicted individuals must follow certain conditions to remain in the program; failure to comply can result in a return to prison. Common conditions include the following:
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Refraining from criminal activity
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Having a job and a place to live
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Avoiding drug use
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Following instructions provided by a probation or parole officer
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Attending alcohol or drug recovery meetings, if necessary
While probation and parole share the goal of helping convicted individuals reintegrate into society, they differ in how and when they’re applied.
Probation
Probation allows convicted individuals with a suspended prison sentence to serve their time within the community rather than in prison or jail. Individuals on probation must meet certain conditions to ensure compliance and good behavior.
The two main types of probation are:
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Supervised Probation: A probation officer is assigned to periodically meet with a convicted individual during their sentence. This is the most common type of probation.
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Unsupervised Probation: A convicted individual doesn’t need to meet with a probation officer. However, they’re still required to remain a law-abiding citizen and comply with any court mandates, such as avoiding new criminal charges and paying court fines.
Parole
Parole provides a conditional release from prison, allowing the convicted individual to serve the remainder of their sentence under supervision. The two primary types are:
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Discretionary Parole: A parolee leaves prison early and is allowed to serve part or the remainder of their sentence under supervision. A parole board grants this after a hearing, and, in some states, the governor may review and potentially reverse the board’s decision.
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Mandatory Parole: A parolee must serve a supervised period of parole after serving a full prison term.
Role of Probation and Parole Officers
Supervising officers play a central role in probation and parole programs. Their responsibility is not only to enforce compliance and protect public safety but also to help individuals successfully reintegrate into society. Their work can be instrumental in helping convicted individuals, making these supervisory roles satisfying careers for those with a criminal justice degree.
Community corrections officers must have several well-developed criminal justice skills to be effective in their roles. These include strong communication, critical thinking and organizational competencies. Success can also depend on specific personality traits, such as patience and emotional resilience.
Why Community Corrections Matters
Community corrections programs provide several important benefits that extend to both individuals and society.
Reduced Recidivism
Successful community corrections programs provide convicted individuals with structure, supervision and support networks. These resources address underlying issues that often contribute to criminal behavior, including substance use and unstable housing. Successful resolution reduces the likelihood of returning to prison.
Improved Public Safety
The role community corrections plays in reducing recidivism also leads to safer communities. Rehabilitating individuals and reintegrating them into society can lower crime rates. Reintegrated individuals can also become productive members of the community, working as tax-paying citizens participating in community programs.
Cost Efficiency
It typically costs less to rehabilitate individuals through community corrections than to incarcerate them. The savings from alternative approaches, such as probation and parole, can be reinvested to enhance community safety strategies or improve rehabilitation strategies that support long-term success.
Help Build a Better Community
By getting involved with community corrections, individuals can play a key role in building safe, vibrant communities. These programs can also be transformative on a personal level, helping individuals who have previously committed crimes move forward as contributing citizens. The opportunity to create positive change for individuals and communities makes these types of programs critical to execute and maintain.
App State Online’s BSCJ Flight Path program can help prepare you with the knowledge to strengthen these crucial services as a community corrections professional. Its curriculum explores the impact of criminal justice on communities and can help build analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Learn how App State Online’s criminal justice program can help you complete your degree and reach your career goals.
Recommended Readings
Forensic Science Technician: Salary and Overview
A Look at Criminal Investigators: Salary and More
What Is a Criminal Justice Degree?
Sources:
BMC Public Health, “The Association Between Health and Prison Overcrowding, a Scoping Review”
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Community Corrections (Probation and Parole)
Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Prisons Report Series: Preliminary Data Release, 2023”
Indeed, “What Does a Parole Officer Do? (With Salary Information)”
Lepley, Engleman, Yaw & Wilk, Definition Probation: A Guide to the Rehabilitation Tool
National Institute of Justice, Community Corrections