Course materials

1. case study #1: probation or prison?
Write a 1/2 to one page (150–275 words) response in which you answer the three
questions that follow the case study below:You could have been in the same situation
yourself. Instead, it is Mary Lee Smith, one of your probationers, who is about to stand
before the judge in a probation revocation hearing.When you and your husband split 10
years ago, you had two children and eventually had to declare bankruptcy and accept food
stamps to be able to pay the rent. After seven years working as a secretary at the nearby
state juvenile corrections center, receiving constant encouragement from Mrs. Jones, the
superintendent, and taking advantage of a criminal justice scholarship program, you
finished a degree in administration of justice and qualified for an entry-level position with
the community resources division of the state department of corrections. You advanced as
the system grew, and now, three years later, you are a probation supervisor in Judge
Longworth’s court.In a way, Mary Lee is as much a victim as she is an offender. Married at
seventeen, she quit high school and moved west with her husband who was in the army. By
the time she was twenty, she had two children and was divorced. With babysitters to pay
and skills that would command no more than minimum wage, Mary Lee turned to such
income supplements as shoplifting, bad check writing, and occasionally prostitution. Her
check-passing skills developed rapidly, and it was not long before she had amassed a series
of convictions, not to mention several lesser offenses for petty larceny that were disposed of
by the prosecutor’s declaration of nolle prosequi. To date, Mary Lee has not served a day in
prison. Judge Longworth has used admonition, restitution, suspended sentence, and
probation to rehabilitate Mary Lee. However, Mary Lee’s criminal conduct has persisted, as
has her inability to stretch her food stamps, welfare payments, and part-time minimum-
wage employment into a satisfactory existence for herself and her children. To complicate
the matter, the welfare safety net that had helped keep Mary Lee and her children afloat
would cease to exist for her within 24 months.Judge Longworth has called you into his
chambers before the hearing. He read your violation report with interest. You pointed out
Mary Lee’s family obligations and the imminent possibility that the children would have to
be placed in foster homes if she were confined. You also pointed out that she has been
faithful in making restitution and that she maintains a steady church relationship and a
good home environment for her children. Although your report is fair and accurate, you
realize that the judge has sensed your misgivings and uncertainty concerning Mary
Lee.Judge Longworth looks up from your report and comes directly to the point. “Do you
really believe this woman deserves to go back into the community? You certainly seem to

2. have found some redeeming features in her conduct that I don’t,” he says. “Unfortunately, it
appears to me that the only way she is going to learn to respect other people’s property is to
be deprived of her own freedom. I think the community is getting pretty tired of this kind of
repetitive criminal conduct.” Judge Longworth looks to you expectantly for an answer.You
are on the spot. You know your answer might put Mary Lee in the penitentiary or give her
another chance on probation. The judge will make up his own mind, but you know he values
your opinion.