The Reducing Revocations Challenge aimed to fill the void of information on drivers of revocation through in-depth, mixed-method research in 10 jurisdictions (Phase I) and use what was learned to identify and put into action innovative strategies to improve probation outcomes and equity in those outcomes in a subset of those sites.

In 2019, the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance launched the Reducing Revocations Challenge, a national initiative supported by Arnold Ventures that funded action research teams pairing probation departments in 10 jurisdictions with research organizations to explore in-depth the drivers of probation revocations and use that information to identify new policy and practice solutions. Across sites, this research has yielded new insights regarding the relationship of technical noncompliance, new criminal activity, and assessed risk level to violations and revocations; as well as reaffirming existing knowledge