Leveraging AI Technology for Community Supervision Caseloads

Former probation and parole chief and 30-year industry veteran, Jack Martin, paints a clear picture: “You’re tired. You’ve been up since 6:00 a.m. fielding calls from the jail about one of your 125 cases. You have defensive tactics training today and court during your lunch hour. Meanwhile, you’re behind on termination and violation reports, as well as collecting monthly stats for ‘required’ state reporting. Not to mention, your field visits are seriously behind, having been tied to your desk for the last two weeks.”

Sound familiar? In this landscape, the duties within community supervision become extremely difficult.

Emerging as an innovative solution to assist officers in their large, complex caseloads is artificial intelligence (AI), which has been a proven technology in courts for decades. This article will explore how AI can apply to community supervision case management, featuring insights from two industry leaders: former officer and current Tyler Technologies Vice President and General Manager, Ken Miles, and former chief turned Tyler Technologies Client Executive, Jack Martin.

We’ll highlight challenges AI can solve, differences in the types of AI, and benefits for community supervision officers and chiefs.

Officer Challenges Boil Down to Overwhelming Caseloads

Caseload volumes have taken their toll on officers for decades. When you factor in the complexity of monitoring, managing, and recording each step of a client’s supervision journey, it can quickly become overwhelming.

“Officers are exhausted. They didn’t sign up to be a PO (probation or parole officer) so they could sit behind a desk completing mundane chores over and over again. As a former chief, I know first-hand agency chiefs are begging for solutions to relieve their officers from repetitive tasks,” shares Martin.

• Administrative burdens. From documentation requests to compliance tracking to high officer turnover rates, officers are bogged down with excess manual paperwork, especially from administrative caseloads. Officers are driven by creating meaningful change within their communities, not by going through the motions of routine tasks at their desks.
• Lack of timely, accurate data insights. Data often lives in multiple systems, causing data overload as officers track insights from one source to the next. Or, worst-case scenario, data is reentered manually, making errors more prominent. As a result, chiefs lack the accurate data needed to make timely and informed decisions.
• Complexity of managing risk and rehabilitation efforts. Officers must balance a client’s potential risk with efforts to support their rehabilitation. Focusing too much on either risk management or rehabilitation may fail to address a client’s true needs. Time and resources are critical from this perspective of supervision.

As challenges become more complex and resources dwindle, Miles recognizes, “it’s more important than ever for agencies to find new ways of helping officers manage their growing caseload, without sacrificing quality interactions. Emerging as a clear leader in all efforts to transform traditional work is AI.”

Applying AI to Supervision Caseloads

AI uses machines to reproduce human intelligence processes. These processes include learning, processing vast amounts of data from multiple locations, problem-solving, perception, knowledge generation, and language understanding. AI is typically seen in two fashions — bots and robots — which can be differentiated in three ways:

• Form. Bots are software, while robots are hardware with potentially software components.
• Function. Bots automate digital tasks, while robots automate physical tasks.
• Interaction. Bots operate within the internet or software environments, while robots interact with the physical environment.

An example of bots would be document processing and redacting in business environments — courts are already seeing a significant impact of this type of technology in e-filing automation workflows. “A bot is taught to read documents, several hundred if needed, and then it extracts the information needed for the case management system. It follows your guided process the same way every single time,” explains Martin.

An example of robots would be deploying physical robots to perform the predefined tasks of production line workers in a manufacturing plant. No human intervention is necessary.

“Both bots and robots use AI to enhance their capabilities, but their domains of operation — digital versus physical — are what set them apart. AI bots will not replace people. Instead, bots enhance work by streamlining tasks, boosting productivity, and increasing focus on more strategic and creative responsibilities, like managing higher risk clientele,” Miles summarizes.

Benefits of AI for Supervision Workflows

AI serves as a tool to help officers stay on top of their caseload. By automating tasks, assisting in decision-making, and enhancing client interactions, AI brings many benefits to community supervision processes.

• Productivity. Built on predefined rules for routine tasks, AI can automate repetitive work, saving officers valuable time. “Generating reports, form filling, checking in with clients to remind them of an appointment or to verify they made it to the first day of a new job, and even summarizing field visit notes, these labor-intensive tasks often steal time from officers. As a solution, AI can automate this work and offer time-saving measures that contribute to more meaningful focus on client interactions,” says Miles.
• Decision-making. Prioritizing at-risk individuals and tailoring action plans requires thoughtful insights. AI can examine prior criminal history, seriousness of the case, age of first offense, risk screenings, assessment scores coupled with employment status, and protective factors. It can then make recommendations into which cases require more intensive supervision, helping prioritize caseloads effectively and reducing decision-making fatigue. AI can also detect patterns while case data is continuously monitored and summarized. Officers can be alerted in real time of potential risks with suggestions for means of intervention. “Taking into consideration an individual’s current situation and other historical outcomes, AI can make program recommendations, complete auto-enrollment, and enter case notes and reminders. Taking on these tasks not only enhances decision-making but leads to better time and resource allocation,” shares Miles. “Imagine giving your officers 30% of their week back just by automating case notes,” adds Martin.
• Client engagement. Consistent communication with clients keeps them engaged during their time under supervision. More engaged clients who believe their officer is invested in their success often equates to better outcomes. “AI-driven communications can step in to alleviate some of the basic officer support by offering clients options for automated check-in, report progress, or even relatable Q&A,” Miles explains. Messages such as “How are you doing today?” and “Keep up the great work!” are perfect examples of communications officers want to send but don’t have time for. Embedded into workflows, AI analyzes these interactions to understand patterns, provide recommendations, or automate future reminders. For officers, this means fewer in-person meetings and more time for higher-priority tasks or individuals.

Final Considerations for Supervision Agencies

Community supervision officers have one of the most courageous, selfless jobs. Officers dedicate their lives to helping other people, and the most successful outcomes are built on quality relationships, interactions, and commitment. It’s especially important this is at the forefront when considering AI tools for community supervision.

AI is an officer assistant — not an officer replacement — meant to balance strengths by augmenting routine tasks. “Detecting a lie, knowing when to dig deeper, or conceding with a pass and an encouraging reminder — it’s these supervisory instincts built on human-centricity and behavioral elements that AI cannot embody,” closes Miles.

AI is a tool to empower officers to do their job more effectively, while also reducing stress. It’s a tool that fills the productivity gap and reroutes officers’ focus toward delivering the human touch that’s needed, and deserved, in community supervision.

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