Fascinating articles about Florida probation system

The St. Petersburg Times on Sunday ran an interesting set of article about the administration and reforms of the state’s probation system.  This lead article, entitled “Judgment calls,” has this introduction, which highlights some of the article’s themes:

Judges, prosecutors, probation officers and public defenders are faced with decisions that determine whether, and when probationers will have their freedom. The probationers, in turn, face daily choices that can determine their fates. In recent years, public officials have reacted to some especially shocking murders and sex crimes by adopting tough laws and regulations that limit the discretion of those on the front lines of the criminal justice system. In some cases, the get-tough policies have had their intended effect. In others, they have produced unintended consequences that have made the system less fair and society less safe.

The lead article is a very interesting read, and provides a lot of insight into the operation and importance of discretion on the back-end of sentencing systems.  Also terrific are this companion article, “On the job with probation officers Rebecca Wolf and Joe Sabella,” which documents the day-to-day work of probation officers in Florida, and this overview of the laws impacting sex offenders in Florida.  (Hat tip to Howard Bashman for a link.)