APS Telephone Script

Appendix E - APS Frame Enhancement Telephone Script

New Agency Eligibility Calls
IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND REASON FOR CALL
Hello, my name is FIRST NAME LAST NAME and I’m calling on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics at
the U.S. Department of Justice. We are developing a comprehensive listing of courts and agencies with
responsibility for supervising adults on probation. I’d like to speak with someone at your COURT/AGENCY
who could answer a few questions about adult probation supervision.
[TRANSFER TO APPROPRIATE PERSON]
[Hello, my name is FIRST NAME LAST NAME and I’m calling on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics at
the U.S. Department of Justice. We are developing a comprehensive listing of courts and agencies with
responsibility for supervising adults on probation.]
To determine your COURT/AGENCY’s eligibility, I have a just few questions. This should take about 10
minutes.
We already work with some COURTS/AGENCIES in your state to gather information about the adult
probation population through the Annual Probation Survey, sponsored by the Department of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Statistics. Since we are not currently working with anyone from your COURT/AGENCY, I
wanted to reach out to determine if your COURT/AGENCY should be included in the data collection. This
collection has been approved by the Office of Budget and Management (OMB No. 1121-0064: Approval
Expires xx/xx/2021).
Let me first tell you a little bit about the Annual Probation Survey. It is conducted by RTI International on
behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics each year. The survey collects data about the number of adults
on probation, the number of entries to and exits from probation, and some characteristics of the
population including most serious offense and race/ethnicity. These data are essential for compiling the
most complete and accurate statistics on the probation population in the United States. Reports from the
study are released annually; the most recent report for 2015 is available on the BJS website.

IF NON-COURT AGENCY, GO TO Q6.
1. First, does COURT NAME assign adults to any form of probation? This would include active
supervision as well as inactive supervision, sometimes called “bench probation.” We’re
interested in any form of probation for felons or misdemeanants that entails monitoring or
surveillance with or without any reporting requirements.
Yes
No

GO TO Q2
GO TO Q2

2. Does the court, or any office within the court, have responsibility for supervising adults on any
form of probation?
Yes
No

GO TO Q8
GO TO Q3

3. Is there a chance that your court will have responsibility for supervising adults on probation,
either felons or misdemeanants, at any time in the next year?
Yes
No

GO TO Q8
IF Q1 = YES, GO TO Q4; IF Q1 = NO, GO TO Q18

.
4. Who supervises the adults that COURT NAME assigns to probation?
ATTEMPT TO GET AGENCY/COMPANY NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. [ALLOW FOR UP TO 5 TEXT
ANSWERS.]
[TEXT ANSWER]
[TEXT ANSWER]
[TEXT ANSWER]
[TEXT ANSWER]
[TEXT ANSWER]

[NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
[NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
[NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
[NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
[NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]

5. Does COURT NAME maintain records on the supervision status and characteristics, such as
gender, race/ethnicity, and offense type, of those assigned to probation?
Yes
GO TO Q8
No
GO TO Q18
Don’t Know
GO TO Q8

6. Does AGENCY NAME have responsibility for supervising adults on any form of probation? This
would include active supervision as well as inactive supervision, sometimes called “bench
probation.” We’re interested in any form of probation for felons or misdemeanants that entails
monitoring or surveillance with or without any reporting requirements.
Yes
No

GO TO Q8
GO TO Q7

7. Is there a chance that your agency will have responsibility for supervising adults on probation,
either felons or misdemeanants, at any time in the next year?
Yes
No

GO TO Q8
GO TO Q18

COURT/AGENCY INFORMATION
8. Next, I would like to confirm the name and address of your COURT/AGENCY….
COURT/AGENCY Name: [TEXT ANSWER]
Address: [TEXT ANSWER: FORMAT AS STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP]
9. For future contact, are you the best person to speak to about the adult probation population
supervised by your COURT/AGENCY?
Yes
No
10. I’d like to get your contact information / the contact information for the person who knows the
most about the population supervised by your COURT/AGENCY.
Salutation: [TEXT ANSWER]
First Name: [TEXT ANSWER]
Last Name: [TEXT ANSWER]
Title: [TEXT ANSWER]
Mailing Address: [TEXT ANSWER: FORMAT AS STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP]
Phone Number: [NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
Fax Number: [NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
Email Address: [TEXT ANSWER]

11. What is the contact information for the head of your COURT/AGENCY?
INFORMANT IS COURT/AGENCY HEAD

□

Salutation: [TEXT ANSWER]
First Name: [TEXT ANSWER]
Last Name: [TEXT ANSWER]
Title: [TEXT ANSWER]
Mailing Address: [TEXT ANSWER: FORMAT AS STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP]
Phone Number: [NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
Fax Number: [NUMERIC ANSWER: FORMAT AS ### ### #### EXT ####]
Email Address: [TEXT ANSWER]
IF Q2=NO OR Q6=NO, GO TO Q18.
ELSE, CONTINUE.
PROBATION SUPERVISION INFORMATION
12. Finally, I would like to get some information on the populations that your COURT/AGENCY
supervises. Does your COURT/AGENCY currently have responsibility for the supervision of felons?
Yes
No
13. Does your COURT/AGENCY currently have responsibility for the supervision of misdemeanants?
Yes
No
14. On December 31, 2016, what was total number of adult probationers supervised by your
COURT/AGENCY?
[NUMERIC ANSWER]
IF Q12=YES, CONTINUE.
ELSE, GO TO Q16.
15. How many felons did your COURT/AGENCY supervise as of December 31, 2016?
[NUMERIC ANSWER]

IF Q13=YES, CONTINUE.
ELSE, GO TO Q17.
16. How many misdemeanants did your COURT/AGENCY supervise as of December 31, 2016?
[NUMERIC ANSWER]
END
17. That was my last question. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Once we have
developed the comprehensive national listing, we may contact you to participate in the Bureau
of Justice Statistic’s Annual Probation Survey, but that survey request would not be made until
Fall 2018. Do you have any questions for me?
18. That was my last question. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Since
COURT/AGENCY does not supervise adults on probation, your COURT/AGENCY is not eligible to
participate in the Bureau of Justice Statistic’s Annual Probation Survey. Do you have any
questions for me?