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What is Probation? Conditions of Probation and Responsibilities of a Probation Officer Introduction to Criminal Justice Judges have turned more and more to probation instead of incarceration in recent years, and will continue to do so in the future. An important reason for this trend is that probation is less expensive and seems to be more effective for many offenders. Many jurisdictions have such undesirable or overcrowded jails and prisons that judges are reluctant to send offenders to them. Judges know that persons sent to prison for relatively minor offenses often come under the influence of hard-core offenders (Callahan 15). Furthermore, effective rehabilitation and education programs are not always available in institutions. The Courts have therefore turned to other methods of dealing with convicted lawbreakers. Judges today are choosing probation and other community supervisory programs as desirable alternatives to imprisonment. Incarceration may be destructive and should be imposed only when necessary. On the other hand, incarceration can also be an appropriate element of a probation program to emphasize the consequences of criminal behavior and therefore effect constructive behavioral change. P