While probation offices across Illinois are closed or operating with fewer employees due to COVID-19, there may be a decrease in technical probation violations resulting in any real punishments.

For many years, criminal justice researchers have gathered a lot of data about whether or not punishments for non-criminal probation violations are helpful to anyone. With many probation offices changing the way they do things during the COVID-19 pandemic, that question is being asked again.

So what is the difference between [...]