The first prison opened in the United States in 1790, and since then incarceration has been at the prime punishment of the criminal justice system. Over time many creative alternatives to incarceration have been tried, and with many aimed at finding a way that is lower than the cost of imprisonment. In the late 1980’s our criminal justice systems around the country started to experience with the issue of overcrowding of correctional facilities. This problem forced lawmakers to find new options for sentencing criminal offenders. Unlike serving punishments in jail or prisons, which can foster a costly cycle of crime and violent behavior, these alternatives tend to help prevent violence and strengthen communities. Community correction programs offer communities with local punishment options as an alternative to incarceration. Base on the cost per offender, these various sanction programs are lower cost alternatives to the construction of new jail and prison facilities necessitated by overcrowding. Lasky (2012) noted that, “The cost of housing a single inmate is often around $100 per day. In communities with active jail diversion programs, which can effectively reduce or eliminate jail time for thousands of offenders, the economic savings for taxpayers is considerable.” These programs afford local courts, state correctional departments, and state parole boards with a wide range of punitive options for offenders within their jurisdiction. The ultimate goals of these programs are to fit the appropriate punishment with the crime, see that the offender is punished and held accountable, and that the public safety is ensured. There are many variations of programs available as an alternative to incarceration, the primary being probation. Probation is distinct from parole, which involves conditional release from confinement after part of a sentence has already been served (“Probation,” 2014). Probation is still most commonly used for first-time offenders. This plan allows the offender to get a second chance in the community. While on probation, offenders must report to their assigned probation officer anywhere from once a month to three or four tim