Probation Officers Research Articles

Beyond Judicial Solitude: Listening in the Politics of Criminal Sentencing

Criminal sentencing has grown into an increasingly interactive process featuring a multiplicity of potential actors—prosecution, defence, the individual convicted of the crime, probation officers and case workers, victims or their families, the police, community representatives, community workers, and even academics. The philosophical foundations of sentencing scholarship, however, regularly assume a model of judicial solitude in which sentencing judges are separate and apart from other actors. This article suggests the need to take sentencing’s interactivity and its politics seriously and draws on democratic theory to address this gap. Accordingly, it argues that listening—as conceived of by deliberative democrats—is essential to a relational ethic that ensures both the legitimacy and quality of sentencing decisions, particularly in cases involving marginalized communities. In doing so, it turns to judicial practice and highlights both the need and possibilities for listening to be taken up as an explicit feature of judicial ethics.

Expansion of Remote Supervision Technology in Community Corrections: Lessons Learned from One State During COVID-19

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic substantially disrupted community corrections work and forced agencies to adapt to continue maintaining public safety and helping clients navigate supervision. During this time, technology emerged as a key innovation to allow agencies to continue to achieve these mandates. The current study sought to better understand the role of technology in supervision during the pandemic with an emphasis on front-line officer perceptions. Using surveys of 184 probation and parole officers, we examined how officers adapted their supervision approach, the role of technology in this process, and the use of a mobile application to continue supervision during the pandemic. Study findings highlight pragmatic, risk-based adaptations that were made to supervision practices and ways technology was leveraged to mitigate the burdens of the pandemic. Additionally, we identified a number of barriers that hindered innovative efforts. This study adds to a growing discussion surrounding the promise of technological innovation in community corrections and how community corrections agencies can proactively prepare for future disruptions.

Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Gang Participation Among Youth in Mombasa County, Kenya: From the Perspective of Household Challenges

Purpose: Gang participation has become a universal phenomenon attracting increasing attention in both developed and developing countries. Previous research denotes strong evidence that early life adverse traumas and events heighten the risk of delinquent behaviour among young people. This study aimed to find out whether there is a relationship between household challenges and gang participation among youth gang members in Mombasa County. This study was guided by the Interactional Theory by Terrence Thornberry (1987). Methods: This study employed a correlational research design within the context of Ex-post facto research. The study population consisted of alleged, convicted, and reforming gang members in Mombasa. They were drawn from a database accessed by the Nyali District Peace Committee (DPC) which has 358 members aged between 15-31 years. Purposive, and snowball sampling techniques were used to gather data from the sample. Descriptive statistics namely, frequencies, percentages, and measures of central tendency were used. Inferential statistics namely the Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient, linear, and regression was then employed to establish the relationship between household challenges and gang participation. Results: The findings revealed a strong positive correlation between gang participation and household challenges (r = 0.876, p < 0.01). Implication: The findings of this study will guide the formulation of programs and interventions for the rehabilitation and reintegration of these gang members. These can be of help to Civil Society Organizations, law enforcement agencies, and probation officers.

The offender between penal policies and local practices: A history of individualised punishment

Like many other jurisdictions, the Danish criminal justice system has used pre-sentence reports for almost a century to be able to impose individualised sanctions. During this period, suspended sentences and a range of alternative sanctions have been developed, and the number of pre-sentence reports issued has increased dramatically accordingly. These changes are often explained in terms of shifting ideologies about the relation between crime, person and society during the 20th century. However, this article argues that the larger, paradigmatic changes within penal decision-making may be articulated quite differently in everyday institutional practices. Both current and former perceptions of ‘the criminal’ thus appear as hybrid forms in judges’, probation officers’ and other professionals’ contemporary practices feeding into sentencing. The penal history of pre-sentence reports as phenomenon thus enables us to raise awareness about contemporary, heterogeneous and anachronistic constructions of the defendant that influence their punishment.

‘I would work with a client, but I have to fill out papers’: understanding professional roles and role conflicts experienced by Lithuanian probation officers

This article aims to explore the roles that Lithuanian probation officers associate with their profession, the differences between their ideal and actual roles, and the conflicts they encounter in their daily work with probation clients. The research was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including a survey of 129 individuals and interviews with 20 probation officers. Results from the survey showed that Lithuanian probation officers tend to associate their profession with control and balancing roles. Interviews revealed that probation officers associate their ideal roles with control or resocialisation functions but accept these contrasting roles as a professional necessity. The study also found that probation officers face a high workload related to paperwork, which suggests an actual role as a bureaucrat. Nevertheless, this role is not desired by the officers and is rejected. Additionally, the study revealed that probation officers experience internal conflicts related to the different expectations of their clients and the management of the probation service. This article argues that the organisation's attitude and requirements influence the gap between the ideal and actual roles of probation officers and orient their actual roles towards bureaucratic and control functions.

The structured assessment of violence risk in youth demonstrates measurement invariance between Black and White justice-referred youths.

Identification and implementation of effective methods for reducing racial/ethnic bias and disparities in legal settings are paramount in the United States and other countries. One procedure originally thought to reduce bias in legal decisions is the use of risk assessment instruments, which is now being heavily scrutinized. Measurement invariance, a latent trait technique, is a robust method for assessing one form of bias. Measurement invariance involves determining whether risk items in an instrument appear to be functioning the same between racial or other groups. Thus, the present study examined measurement invariance of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) between non-Latino Black and White youths to examine racial bias. We expected the SAVRY to be invariant (lacking measurement bias) between Black and White youths. The sample included 687 Black and 361 White youths, and the study used a large, multistate data set of SAVRYs conducted by probation officers. We conducted measurement invariance testing in a series of hierarchical steps including testing configural and scalar invariance. The SAVRY demonstrated scalar invariance (equal thresholds for ratings from "low" to "moderate" and "moderate" to "high") for all items except one-community disorganization. The findings lend further credibility to the SAVRY, and the structured professional judgment approach, as a method to assess violence risk and case planning needs among youths involved in the legal system. These findings provide more confidence that significant differences in SAVRY risk level or items between Black and White youths are not based in measurement bias, with the exception of the community disorganization item. Potential fixes discussed include eliminating or deemphasizing this item in final risk level ratings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Regulatory and legal component of administrative regulation of probation

The article examines the normative-legal component of the administrative regulation of probation.Itwasdeterminedthattheadministrative and legal regulation of probation is a set of legal norms and mechanisms that determine the order of organization and implementation of probation measures in the state, the competence of state bodies, their duties and rights regarding control over the implementation of probation measures and interaction in this area with the courts , law enforcement agencies and social services. It is noted that probation is a system of supervision, control and social-educational measures applied by court decision to offenders instead of imprisonment or as a substitute for punishment, includes individual supervision, assistance in resocialization and measures aimed at preventing repeated crimes and ensuring safety society, while integrating the offender into social life without isolation. It is emphasized that the NPA system of administrative and legal regulation of probation includes international legal standards, national NPAs, including Acts of central executive bodies, local normative acts, agreements, methodological recommendations, etc., the norms of which are aimed at the development of alternative punishments, provision of rehabilitation and social support of offenders, regulation of the organization and implementation of probation in Ukraine, determine the legal basis for the activity of probation authorities, and also establish the procedure for providing probation services for persons who have committed a criminal offense. It was determined that the shortcomings of the administrative and legal regulation of probation are: the imperfection of the legislative framework, violation of the probation procedure, clear criteria for assessing the convicted person and the system for assessing the risks of recidivism, the mismatch of resources and the burden on the system, the low level of coordination between subjects of probation, the prevalence of ineffective methods of psychological works; society is not aware of the purpose and mechanism of probation, etc. It has been stated that the prospects for improving the normative-legal basis of the administrative-legal regulation of probation in Ukraine are: harmonization of legislation with international standards, institutional strengthening of the probation system, expansion of various approaches to probation, improvement of mechanisms for rehabilitation and support of offenders, involvement of public organizations, development of electronic monitoring systems , expanding educational programs for probation officers, increasing funding, research and analysis of probation effectiveness, etc.

A Probation Officer as a Possible Accompanist of Convicts through Catechesis

A Probation Officer as a Possible Accompanist of Convicts through Catechesis

Signifiers of desistance from a positive criminology perspective: The case of responsibility taking in restorative proceedings

Restorative Justice is a framework of mutual dialogue that offers people involved in wrongdoings, a more profound understanding of the harms experienced by the victims of the offense. It does this by applying the notions of responsibility taking and accountability differently from the traditional retributive criminal justice systems: instead of passively enduring a punishment, the prepetrator proactively seeks to remediate the harm caused. The aim of this study, the first of its kind in Israel, was to examine the subjective perceptions of graduates of the Geffen Victim-Offender Mediation Program, operated by the Adult Probation Service in Israel, of their past offenses. Through narrative analysis of the personal accounts of people who offended and took part in Restorative Justice dialogue proceedings, we found that they acknowledged and took responsibility for their transgressions and their manifold consequences—coupled with remorse, shame, and a desire to make amends. Participants also noted the positive attitude of the probation officers who helped them in the process. The article discusses these findings from the perspective of positive criminology and desistance theory.

“Making a difference”: Interpreting responsivity ambience for parole work

In this article, we draw on qualitative interview data (n = 150) from parole officers (POs) employed in Canada's federal correctional service. Our analysis interprets job satisfaction, accountability, and relational aspects of POs' work, taking a semi-grounded constructivist approach. We discovered correctional workers, such as probation and parole officers, engage in transformational relationships within their workplace environments. However, given economic, social, and political constraints, we question how these change agents actually ‘make a difference’ in practice. Fidelity to core correctional practices suggests therapeutic alliances are fundamental to intervention. Emergent in our discoveries is how the workplace environment, organizational climate and culture, and penal atmosphere mediate reflexive experiences that inspire motivation, morale, and change. However, our interpretation and situational awareness of parole adds to a lacuna in knowledge about therapeutic relationships in correctional work generally and the responsivity principle specifically for sensemaking about how interventions may sometimes become iatrogenic. We found that POs negotiate their relationships with those under supervision as much as with fellow correctional workers. Responsivity ambience pertains to consolidation and conceptual clarity concerning how corrections, in its public safety mandate, induces in/efficacy. Through discussion, we theorize how securitized settings affect well-being and provide practical insights to converge on the rehabilitative ideal and criminal desistance.

Changes in Probation Officer Procedural Justice and Self-Reported Recidivism.

An increasing number of studies has studied the role of procedural justice for reducing recidivism in the probation context. The objective of this study is to contribute to existing knowledge by examining (a) whether people on probation alter their perceptions of probation officer procedural justice over time and (b) the extent to which changes in procedural justice relate to recidivism. This study utilized longitudinal data from 326 adults who were released from Dutch (pre-trial) detention centers and who had contact with the Probation Service. Using the reliable change index, our findings showed that a majority of people on probation changed their procedural justice perceptions over time, which suggested that perceptions of fairness and respect are malleable. Unchanged perceptions of probation officer procedural justice were related to self-reported recidivism, while the likelihood of recidivism did not differ between respondents with decreased and increased perceptions.

Who Was I? The Double Role of the Researcher in the Study – ‘Dirty Work’ in the Field by Family Probation Officers in Poland

This article aims to determine who the author was during the study. The uncertainties expressed therein include methodological and ethical challenges I encountered during a research project on the fieldwork of family probation officers in the central districts of a large city in Poland. I describe these challenges through the lens of my experiences and emotions, which accompanied me in my role as a researcher because they constituted part of the empirical material. Analytic autoethnography formed the basis to fulfil this task. The research material was derived from a several-month-long observation the work done by family probation officers. The collected data revealed that research work in the field carries with it physical, social, moral and emotional burdens. The results of the analysis lead me to conclude that while being in the field, I conducted “dirty work” and that my role was connected with the identity I assumed due to my research and the role ascribed to me by probation officers.

Prisons as Pathways to Rehabilitation or Criminality? A Case of Haripur Jail

This research investigated the function of Pakistani jails, namely the Haripur Central Jail located in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa area, in the process of reintegrating ex-offenders. Semi-structured questionnaires and interviews were used in this study to collect data both qualitatively and quantitatively. The sample was N = 222 prisoners, including convicted individuals, prison employees, probation officials, and former convicts, participated in screening interviews. NVivo 12 was used for data analysis by employing a methodical approach torandom sampling. The study found that in addition to moving prisons, prisonofficials needed a great deal of information, tools, and facilities. The study alsoshowed that there was a lack of proper government and public assistance, as well as the necessity for uniform written laws controlling the reintegration of ex- offenders, particularly for those accused of offenses connected to terrorism. The study concluded that the only way to improve the prison's ability to rehabilitate inmates is to implement systemic reforms to the institution.

Associations of Racial Equity Training, Policies, and Practices With Routine Supervision Strategies in Community Corrections

Community corrections agencies across the United States are adopting racial equity as a priority in their polices, practices, and staff training, though how racial equity can be translated into the routine practices of probation and parole officers has not been widely discussed. This study examines the associations of perceived racial equity priorities on the supervision strategies reported by probation and parole officers in an online survey ( N = 1054). Approximately one-third of officers reported that their agencies prioritized racial equity. Racial equity scores were stronger in juvenile agencies and in agencies that prioritized evidence-informed practices. Racial equity was associated with reduced accountability-oriented case management practices. Results of this study suggest that racial equity policies and practices may impact client outcomes through changes in general supervision strategies. More research is needed to identify race-conscious strategies that community corrections officers can employ to meet the needs of people involved in the legal system.

Detecting Probation and Parole Officer Adherence to the Made-in-Ontario CCP Model of Community Supervision

The current study aims to assess probation and parole officers' (PPOs) adherence to the Made-in-Ontario Core Correctional Practice (CCP) model of community supervision with justice-impacted people. Case notes from 5 PPOs (for 45 clients) were coded to examine if evidence of CCP strategies used during PPO and client interactions could be reliably detected in PPO case notes. Preliminary findings indicate promising evidence for the detection of CCP strategies within case notes. Inter-rater reliability was also found to be high. Future considerations include expanding the study to a larger sample, refining the coding manual, and examining potential covariates. These insights contribute to understanding the integration and effectiveness of CCP practices into community supervision settings.

“Ik ben zoo diep gezakt door deze oorlog”

During the German occupation of the Netherlands in the 1940s, crime rates for petty theft rose considerably. As a result of shortages, forced labor, unemployment and war damages, many citizens resorted to property crime. Those who were caught, were in majority sentenced within the Dutch judicial system, by Dutch magistrates, most of whom had no pro-German beliefs. This article explores how suspects, judges and probation officers referred to the occupation circumstances during the judicial process. All three types of actors saw how these circumstances could lead to theft. However, pre-existing notions of property and its defense were not radically questioned during the occupation. The (implicit) expectation was that the harmful consequences of the Second World War would be of a temporary nature.

Korean Probation Officers’ Perception of Positive Impact on Probationers’ Lives, Job Accomplishment, and Their Relationship with Job Satisfaction

Korean Probation Officers’ Perception of Positive Impact on Probationers’ Lives, Job Accomplishment, and Their Relationship with Job Satisfaction

Collaborative Strategies for Enhancing Child Protection Practices in Pre-Primary Schools: A Case Study of Kira Municipality, Uganda

Child protection practices are measures and interventions intended to safeguard children against violence in school. These practices create safe environments that enable children to thrive. Some of these include the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Child protection agencies’ collaboration is a partnership that supports children’s well-being. This study investigated the contribution of child protection agencies’ collaboration on protection practices in Pre-primary schools in Kira Municipality, which has continued to be challenging. This study was informed by the social capital theory emphasizing the significance of social relationships, trust, and mutuality. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, and data was collected using quantitative and qualitative tools. These included document analysis checklists, interview guides, observation checklists, and questionnaires. The respondents included headteachers, Centre Management Committee members, parents, Local Council members, and Probation officers. The results indicated that schools rarely collaborated with child protection agencies to ensure that protection practices were implemented in pre-primary schools. In contrast, the probation officers reported that the schools didn’t involve them during the planning, though it was when they would know the areas for collaboration. Four significant recommendations for improving child protection practices are given. Child protection workers need to jointly develop plans that promote child safety and protection, train and build the capacity of educators on issues of child protection, increase resources and financial support to promote child safety and protection, and finally, advocate for laws and policies that promote children’s rights.

Collaborative Strategies for Enhancing Child Protection Practices in Pre-Primary Schools: A Case Study of Kira Municipality, Uganda

Child protection practices are measures and interventions intended to safeguard children against violence in school. These practices create safe environments that enable children to thrive. Some of these include the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Child protection agencies’ collaboration is a partnership that supports children’s well-being. This study investigated the contribution of child protection agencies’ collaboration on protection practices in Pre-primary schools in Kira Municipality, which has continued to be challenging. This study was informed by the social capital theory emphasizing the significance of social relationships, trust, and mutuality. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, and data was collected using quantitative and qualitative tools. These included document analysis checklists, interview guides, observation checklists, and questionnaires. The respondents included headteachers, Centre Management Committee members, parents, Local Council members, and Probation officers. The results indicated that schools rarely collaborated with child protection agencies to ensure that protection practices were implemented in pre-primary schools. In contrast, the probation officers reported that the schools didn’t involve them during the planning, though it was when they would know the areas for collaboration. Four significant recommendations for improving child protection practices are given. Child protection workers need to jointly develop plans that promote child safety and protection, train and build the capacity of educators on issues of child protection, increase resources and financial support to promote child safety and protection, and finally, advocate for laws and policies that promote children’s rights.

Online paedophiles and the criminal justice experience: A qualitative perspective

BackgroundOnline forums provide a conduit for anonymous communication within deviant subcultures, such as online paedophiles. This helps to build virtual communities of support. ObjectiveThis study explores the experience of paedophiles in the criminal justice system as reported by those who experienced it on such a forum. By analysing and understanding the experiences disclosed by these individuals, we may be able to design more targeted prevention strategies and treatment options.Participants and Setting.Data are from one online forum discussion thread that includes 595 online forum posts by 212 unique usernames ranging over 11 years from 2012 to 2023. This forum claims to be an anonymous “therapeutic community” for paedophiles and does not allow the sharing of media (e.g., videos or images). MethodsThis study uses an inductive approach to analyse the posts and discover the perspective and concerns of users who have experienced or are faced with prosecution and punishment. ResultsSeven main themes emerged from the posts on this thread: support and praise, techniques of neutralisation, life in prison, anxiety and mental health, relationships, therapy, and difficulties post-prison. ConclusionsThe forum provided an important source of support among a virtual community of people who shared similar sexual interest in children and feel rejected and demonised by mainstream society. The thread functioned like an “echo chamber” that reinforced a positive view of users' deviant interest. Individuals who had been prosecuted for their offending were returning to the forum, which may encourage reoffending. Parole boards and probation officers may need to consider limiting or restricting access to the Internet, particularly the Tor network, when setting release conditions. Implications for treatment focus on challenging the justifications and excuses used by paedophiles.