Home visitation and office reporting are basic to the probation supervision process. They date to the earliest years of statutory probation and are employed both in the preparation of the presentence investigation and in the supervision of offenders.
This paper presents a historical overview of the use of home visitation in the beginning years of probation. The purposes and problems of early visitation are contrasted with practices of today. Similarities and contrasts in visitation practices are explored.
The changing nature of today's probation, including felony probation, probationer classification systems, and the impact of a drug epidemic, has given rise to a new set of concerns relating to home visitation in urban areas. Unless resolved, these issues may signal an end to routine home visits by probation officers.
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