IMPROVED PROBATION STRATEGIES - PARTICIPANT'S HANDBOOK

• NCJ Number: 66783
• Author(s): J J DAHL; J BANKS; E CARLSON; J DEBRO; L VARNON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 243 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-022-76
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: University Research Corporation
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH UTILIZATION PROGRAM (FORMERLY NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE EXECUTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM)

Annotation

THIS PARTICIPANTS' HANDBOOK ACCOMPANIED A 3-DAY WORKSHOP ON IMPROVED PROBATION STRATEGIES, PART OF A SERIES IN THE NIJ NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH UTILIZATION PROGRAM (RUP) DIRECTED AT IMPROVING EXECUTIVE SKILLS.

Abstract

RUP WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN HELD SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR SINCE 1976, EACH A 3-DAY SESSION DEVOTED TO A SINGLE TOPIC WHOSE CONTEMPORARY IMPORTANCE IS SIGNALED IN PART BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH. THEY ARE ATTENDED BY 50 TO 60 TOP CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICYMAKERS OF LARGER AGENCIES IN FEDERAL REGIONS. THIS PARTICULAR WORKSHOP ADDRESSED THREE VITAL TOPICS IN PROBATION MANAGEMENT: SCARCE RESOURCES, MANAGEMENT DILEMMAS, AND THE ROLE OF PROBATION. WITHIN THIS SCOPE, THE WORKSHOP COVERED THE STATE-OF-THE-ART, MANAGEMENT OF PROBATION RESOURCES, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, PROGRAM EVALUATION, INTENSIVE SPECIAL PROBATION, COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, AND PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION STRATEGIES. THE PLANNING COMMITTEE CHOSE THESE TOPICS BASED ON A REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND ON A NEEDS ASSESSMENTS SURVEY CONDUCTED AMONG PROBATION AGENCY EXECUTIVES. THE TARGET AUDIENCE INCLUDES ADMINISTRATORS, DIVISION HEADS, PLANNERS, AND PROGRAM DEVELOPERS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP TRAINING ARE TO PROVIDE PROBATION EXECUTIVES WITH THE INFORMATION AND TOOLS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP A NEW PROGRAM OR REMODEL AN EXISTING PROGRAM AND TO ACQUAINT PARTICIPANTS WITH NEW PROGRAM MODELS IN INTENSIVE SPECIAL PROBATION, PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. TRAINING WAS GEARED TO BASIC PROGRAM MODEL DEVELOPMENT, CONSISTING OF PROBLEM ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM DESIGN FOLLOWED BY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION. SHORT LECTURES, LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION AND SMALL WORK GROUPS, SELECTED VISUALS, AND A VARIETY OF MATERIALS WERE USED. SMALL GROUP PRACTICE SESSIONS GAVE PARTICIPANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE REGIONAL PROBATION PROBLEMS, DESIGN PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THEIR AGENCY OPERATIONS, DEVELOP SPECIFIC AGENCY PROBLEM STATEMENTS FOR BACK-HOME PROJECT DESIGN, AND REVIEW A BASIC PROGRAM DESIGN AND PLANNING PROCEDURE. THIS HANDBOOK CONTAINS THE AGENDA, WORKSHOP TASK DESCRIPTIONS AND PROBLEM STATEMENTS, AND EXERCISES AND PROBLEMSOLVING CHECKLISTS, PLUS INFORMATION ON RUP AND ON THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THIS PARTICULAR WORKSHOP. A TRAINER'S HANDBOOK AND A MANUAL OF TRAINING MATERIALS (PAPERS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES) WERE ALSO DEVELOPED. FOR THESE BOOKLETS, SEE NCJ 66781-82.