Final answer:
The statement that the increased use of felony probation stems from prison overcrowding, reflecting a trend towards alternative forms of correctional supervision to alleviate an overburdened corrections system, is True.
Step-by-step explanation:
The increased use of felony probation is indeed a movement that surfaced as a result of the overcrowding situation in the nation's prisons. This trend is clearly True, as evidenced by the historical context of the tough-on-crime laws such as the "three strikes" law that led to an explosion in the prison population. The massive increase in incarceration rates due to policies implemented in the 1980s and 90s, paired with the high costs and political burdens associated with maintaining and expanding prison infrastructure, prompted a shift towards alternative forms of correctional supervision such as probation.
With this shift, alongside growing awareness of the social and racial inequities perpetuated by mass incarceration, there has been some reduction in prison populations and a subsequent increase in the use of probation. This serves as an attempt to ameliorate the effects of a corrections system strained by the volume of imprisoned individuals, among them a disproportionately high number of African Americans and Hispanics.