MACOMB COUNTY (MI) - VOLUNTEER PROBATION AIDES PROJECT EVALUATION OF 1974

• NCJ Number: 28190
• Author(s): D J AMBOYER; L FRIEDLAND
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 57 pages
• Grant Number(s): 11966-2A74
• Sponsoring Agency: Michigan Office of Criminal Justice
• Corporate Author: Macomb Cty Probation Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE MACOMB COUNTY VOLUNTEERS PROBATION AIDE PROJECT RESULTED IN A HIGHER PROBATION SUCCESS RATE AND REDUCED WORKLOADS FOR FULL-TIME PROBATION OFFICERS.

Abstract

IN THE PROJECT, 182 CLIENTS WERE SERVED IN VARIOUS WAYS BY 151 VOLUNTEER LAY CITIZENS. THE COST OF THESE SERVICES WAS LESS THAN HALF OF THE COST OF PROVIDING THE SAME SERVICES BY PROBATION OFFICERS. THE REGULAR STAFF WORKLOAD WAS REDUCED BY 13.9 PERCENT. A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP EVALUATED DESIGN WAS UTILIZED TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OR INEFFECTIVENESS OF VOLUNTEER PROBATION AIDES WHO ASSISTED ADULT FELON AND MISDEMEANANT CLIENTS. USING A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING PROCEDURE, 100 CLIENTS NOT ASSIGNED A VOLUNTEER COMPRISED THE CONTROL GROUP WHILE 100 CLIENTS WHO WERE ASSIGNED A VOLUNTEER COMPRISED THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. OBJECTIVE DATA WAS GATHERED CONCERNING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS FOR BOTH GROUPS, THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS AFTER BEING PLACED ON PROBATION, AGES AND TYPES OF SUBSEQUENT CONVICTIONS. THE DATA INDICATED THAT 18 PERCENT OF THE 100 CONTROL GROUP SUBJECTS RECIDIVATED IN THAT THEY WERE CONVICTED OF A SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE AFTER BEING PLACED ON PROBATION WHILE ONLY 6 PERCENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECIDIVATED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)