NCJ Number
236813
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 75 Issue: 2 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 7-12
Date Published
September 2011
Length
6 pages
Annotation
After a brief review of the relevant research literature, this study presents preliminary findings from two surveys on job orientation administered to Federal probation officers in three districts.
Abstract
The research review focuses on probation officer attitudes, the link between officer attitudes and performance/outcomes, as well as how to change officer attitudes in order to reflect evidence-based findings regarding the link between officer attitudes and performance/outcomes. Regarding the two surveys, findings show that the Federal probation officers who completed the surveys are balanced in their approach to their work, i.e. using a blend of social work and law enforcement that is neither indulgent of antisocial attitudes and noncompliance nor authoritative and heavy-handed. Combining the balanced approach with the evidence-based program and principles that continue to emerge will likely result in significant increases in positive outcomes. The researchers asked three districts (Massachusetts, the Eastern District of Michigan, and the Middle District of North Carolina) to participate in the officer survey. All three districts have been involved in implementing evidence-based principles in their districts, have shown interest in understanding the impact of officer orientation on supervision, and have a history of surveying officers for various purposes. All probation officers, probation officer assistants, supervisory probation officers, deputy chiefs, and chiefs were asked to complete two surveys, the Officer Orientation Questionnaire (see Paparozzi and Gendreau, 2005) and the Staff Attitudes Survey (see Fulton et al., 1997). The researchers used a modified Dillman method (Dillman, 2000) to conduct the surveys. 7 tables and 46 references