DALLAS COUNTY - INCREASE ADULT PROBATION - INTERIM EVALUATION REPORT, JANUARY 1973 - DECEMBER 1973

• NCJ Number: 15689
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Dallas Cty Probation Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EVALUATION REPORT ON AN EFFORT TO ALLEVIATE THE OVERLOAD OF PROBATIONERS ASSIGNED TO PROBATION OFFICERS IN DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS.

Abstract

BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT, THE AVERAGE PROBATION OFFICER CASELOAD WAS 290 PROBATIONERS. TO HELP REDUCE THIS NUMBER, THE PROJECT OFFERED FOUR TYPES OF SERVICES. AN EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO EXPAND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNTIES FOR PROBATIONERS. A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM PROMOTED COMMUNITY INTEREST IN THE ADULT PROBATION DEPARTMENT. A COMMUNITY RESOURCES PROGRAM HELPED TO MAKE THE PROBATIONERS AWARE OF PLACES HE MAY GO IF HE HAS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM SUCH AS ALCOHOLISM OR DRUG ADDICTION. FINALLY, A PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTS PRE-TRIAL INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS A 'GOOD RISK' FOR PROBATION. THE PROGRAM WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT MANY THIRD-YEAR GOALS WERE REALIZED AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR. THE EVALUATORS SUGGEST THAT THE GOALS WERE UNREALISTICALLY LOW, BUT THE CASELOAD WAS REDUCED BY OVER 65 PERCENT TO AN AVERAGE OF 98 PROBATIONERS TO EACH PROBATION OFFICERS.