Studies of the police and courts suggest substantial rural-urban variations in resources and in the manner in which cases are handled. Although probation is among the most frequently utilized sentencing options, little research has considered geographic variation among probationers, in the conditions of probation, or in case outcomes. This study utilizes data from every adult probationer discharged during a 4-week period (N = 2,468) in a large Midwestern state. The study focuses on rural-urban differences in probationer characteristics, probation sentence characteristics, and case outcome measures.
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