GOAL FACILITATION AS A PROBATION ADMINISTRATION STRATEGY

• NCJ Number: 50861
• Journal: Federal Probation Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 26-31
• Author(s): D L RANDOLPH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Administrative Office of the United States Courts
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SOME OF THE DYSFUNCTIONAL APPROACHES TO PROBATION MANAGEMENT ARE IDENTIFIED, AND THE ROLE OF PROBATION MANAGEMENT TO FACILITATE THE ATTAINMENT OF OVERALL GOALS IS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

IT IS BELIEVED THAT PROBATION PHILOSOPHY HAS DEVELOPED TO SUCH A POINT WHERE THE OVERALL GOALS OF PROBATION SERVICES CAN BE CLEARLY STATED AND TECHNIQUES FOR ACHIEVING THEM DEVISED. HOWEVER, IT IS INDICATED THAT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, MOST FREQUENTLY IN THE AREA OF ATTITUDINAL ORIENTATION, HAMPER RATHER THAN FACILITATE GOAL ACHIEVEMENT. SOME IN MANAGEMENT POSITIONS ARE VIEWED AS ORIENTED TOWARD THE ACHIEVEMENT OF BUREAUCRATIC GOALS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE OVERALL GOAL OF AIDING THE SOCIALIZATION OF CLIENTS. THIS OFTEN REQUIRES THAT PERSONNEL PERFORM TIME-CONSUMING PROCEDURES THAT HAVE LITTLE RELEVANCE TO THE OVERALL GOAL OF PROBATION SERVICES. IN ORDER TO REMEDY SUCH MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT, FOLLOWING GOAL IDENTIFICATION, A SYSTEM BE ESTABLISHED TO MEASURE WHETHER OR NOT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THOSE IN MANAGEMENT POSITIONS WOULD BE BASED ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEIR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES COULD BE SHOWN TO FACILITATE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OVERALL GOAL OF SOCIALIZING CLIENTS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY FOR FIRST LINE SUPERVISORS AND THE TEAM CONCEPT IN THE PROVISION OF PROBATION SERVICES ARE DISCUSSED. (RCB)