AGENTS OF DELINQUENCY CONTROL - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS (FROM CONTROLLING DELINQUENTS, 1968, BY STANTON WHEELER AND HELEN MACGILL HUGHES - SEE NCJ-64125)

• NCJ Number: 64127
• Author(s): S WHEELER; E BONACICH; M R CRAMER; I K ZOLA
• Date Published: 1968
• Length: 30 pages
• Corporate Author: John Wiley and Sons
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IS MADE OF DELINQUENCY CONTROL AGENTS, PARTICULARLY JUDGES, AND THE WAYS IN WHICH JUDGES' ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS ON DELINQUENCY AFFECT JUDICIAL ACTIONS.

Abstract

THE TOTAL PROCESS OF DELINQUENCY CONTROL INVOLVES MANY OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS WHICH OPERATE FROM A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES. THIS STUDY WAS ORIENTED TOWARD THE MAJOR OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE DIRECT CONTROL OF DELINQUENCY--POLICE CHIEFS, POLICE JUVENILE BUREAU OFFICERS, JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS, JUVENILE COURT JUDGES, AND PSYCHIATRISTS WORKING IN JUVENILE COURT SETTINGS. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH MEMBERS OF THESE OCCUPATIONS IN 28 COURT JURISDICTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS. COURT DISPOSITIONS WERE ALSO STUDIED. SINCE THE DELINQUENT PASSES THROUGH MANY HANDS, PATTERNS OF CONTACT AMONG THE VARIOUS OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS WERE STUDIED AS WERE THEIR SIMILARITIES AND DISSIMILARITIES IN ATTITUDES TOWARD DELINQUENCY. RESULTS POINT TO SOME OF THE COMMON PROBLEMS LIKELY TO CHARACTERIZE RELATIONS BETWEEN AGENTS OF DELINQUENCY CONTROL. THESE INCLUDE PROBLEMS POSED BY THE DIFFERING DEGREE OF CONTACT THAT MEMBERS OF THE VARIOUS OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS HAD WITH PERSONS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS TO THEIR OWN, AND WITH COMPLEMENTARY ROLES IN OTHER OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS. PARTICULARLY STRIKING IS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE POLICE MAY BE INSULATED WITHIN A POLICE CULTURE AND THE JUDGES ISOLATED FROM A SET OF CONTACTS WITH OTHER JUDGES. PROBLEMS ARE ALSO POSED WHEN PATTERNS OF SOCIAL CONTACTS BETWEEN GROUPS WHO WORKED WITH DELINQUENTS WERE SYSTEMATICALLY AT ODDS WITH THE DOMINANT PATTERNS OF EXPRESSED ATTITUDES WITHIN THOSE GROUPS. COMPLEXITIES ALSO ARISE WHEN FEATURES OF ORGANIZATION AUTHORITY AND CONTROL INTERACT WITH PERSONAL ATTITUDES. EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE THE GREATER READINESS OF PROBATION OFFICERS AND JUDGES (AS COMPARED TO THE POLICE) TO FEEL THAT COURT APPEARANCE IS NECESSARY FOR DELINQUENTS. BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF NEW IDEOLOGIES AND PERSPECTIVES, THE CHARACTERISTIC ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS OF THOSE WITHIN A PARTICULAR OCCUPATION MAY EMERGE IN WAYS THAT DEFY COMMON STEREOTYPES. THE PRINCIPAL EXAMPLE IS THE PROVISIONAL FINDING THAT THE MOST SEVERE JUDGES ARE LIKELY TO BE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE MORE PROFESSIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC IDEOLGIES. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT FULLER AND MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS IS NEEDED WITHIN AND BETWEEN AGENCIES OF DELINQUENCY CONTROL. (MJW)