Since 1937, the Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Parolees and Probationers has provided the sole statutory authority for regulating the transfer of adult parole and probation supervision across state boundaries. All 50 states are members of this interstate agreement, as are the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In 1998, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Advisory Board, following several public hearings, directed its staff to begin pursuing a revision of the compact. Through the development of an Advisory Group, NIC facilitated a discussion among state officials and corrections policy experts, arriving at a list of recommendations for improvement and overhaul to the existing interstate compact. Through a partnership with The Council of State Governments (CSG), NIC and CSG developed and facilitated a Drafting Team of state officials to design a revised interstate compact – one that would include a modern administrative structure, that provided for rule-making and rule-changing over time, that required the development of a modern data collection and information sharing system among the states, and one that was adequately funded to carry out its tasks.

Beginning in January 2000, the new Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision saw acceptance in the states and by June 2002, had reached its threshold of 35 states, thereby becoming active in just 30 months.

The first meeting of the new Interstate Commission took place November 18-20, 2002 in Scottsdale, Arizona. More than 45 states attended the inaugural meeting at which the newly formed commission conducted preliminary business.

The Interstate Commission oversees the day-to-day oversight of the compact between the states. It promulgates rules to achieve the goals of the compact, ensures an opportunity for input and timely notice to victims and to jurisdictions where defined offenders are authorized to travel or to relocate across state lines and will establish a system of uniform data collection, provide access to information on active cases by authorized criminal justice officials, and coordinate regular reporting of Compact activities to heads of state councils, state executive, judicial, and legislative branches and criminal justice administrators. The Commission will also monitor compliance with the rules governing interstate movement of offenders and initiate interventions to address and correct noncompliance and will coordinate training and education regarding regulations of interstate movement of offenders for officials involved in such activity.