NCJ Number
49342
Date Published
1963
Length
136 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY COMPARED 200 BLACK AND 200 WHITE ADULT MALE PROBATIONERS FROM ALL QUALIFIED CASES OF THE COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS, PHILADELPHIA, 1956-1960. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESS VARIED SIGNIFICANTLY BY RACE.
Abstract
ALL OF THE MEN WERE FIRST OFFENDERS, NATIVE-BORN AMERICANS, WERE ON PROBATION LASTING FROM 6 TO 24 MONTHS, HAD THEIR PROBATION TERMINATED FOR REASONS OTHER THAN DEATH OR ENTRANCE INTO THE ARMED SERVICES, AND WERE UNSKILLED, SKILLED, OR SEMISKILLED WORKERS. A COMPUTER RANDOM NUMBER GENERATION PROGRAM WAS USED TO SELECT THE STUDY CASES FROM THE TOTAL PROBATION DIVISION FILE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRADITIONAL PREDICTORS OF PROBATION SUCCESS FOUND IN STUDIES WITH WHITE OR WITH MIXED GROUPS WERE NOT VALID FOR BLACK PROBATIONS. THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE OCCURRED IN THE VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH FAMILY STATUS. WHILE MARITAL STATE AT TIME OF PROBATION, NUMBER OF DEPENDENT CHILDREN, MARITAL STATUS OF PARENTS AT THE TIME OF PROBATION, AND STABILITY OF ADDRESS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESS AMONG WHITE PROBATIONERS, NONE OF THESE FACTORS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESS OF BLACK PROBATIONERS. MORE SUCCESSFUL BLACK PROBATIONERS WERE LIVING WITH A WIFE OR ALONE WHILE MORE SUCCESSFUL WHITE PROBATIONERS WERE LIVING WITH BOTH PARENTS. THIS WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AGE OF PROBATIONER. OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS SHOWED THE GREATEST PREDICTIVE VALUE FOR BOTH GROUPS. STEADINESS OF EMPLOYMENT, OCCUPATIONAL LEVEL, AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS WERE SIGNIFICANT FOR BOTH WHITE AND BLACK PROBATIONERS. THE NUMBER OF JOB CHANGES PER YEAR WAS SIGNIFICANT FOR WHITES ONLY. SIGNIFICANT RACIAL DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR CHURCH AFFILIATION, SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT, STEADINESS OF EMPLOYMENT, AND NUMBER OF JOB CHANGES PER YEAR. AMONG BLACKS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATION WAS MORE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESS THAN WAS HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. AMONG WHITES THE REVERSE WAS TRUE. WHITES WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE CHURCH AFFILIATION THAN BLACKS AND THERE WAS SLIGHTLY GREATER CORRELATION BETWEEN CHURCH ATTENDANCE AND SUCCESS FOR WHITES. CONTACTS WITH THE PROBATION OFFICER HAVE MORE EFFECT ON WHITE THAN ON BLACK PROBATIONERS AND THE LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN ARREST AND SENTENCE IS A MORE SIGNIFICANT VARIABLE FOR WHITES THAN BLACKS. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT STUDIES OF PAROLE PREDICTORS USING RACIALLY MIXED GROUPS FIND SO FEW VALID RESULTS BECAUSE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES MASK THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND INDEX ARE INCLUDED. TABLES DETAIL THE TESTS OF SIGNIFICANCE, THE SURVEY FINDINGS, AND PRESENT DETAILED COMPARISONS FOR EACH OF 28 FACTORS. (GLR)