NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL NEEDS AND RESOURCES, V 8 - FIELD ANALYSIS OF OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 43361
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 1440 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-035-74
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: American Institutes for Research; Bureau of Social Science Research, Inc; National Planning Assoc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: INCLUDES ATTACHMENTS A, B & C

Annotation

A COMPREHENSIVE FIELD SURVEY WAS MADE TO IDENTIFY BASIC KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR 20 KEY LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUDICIAL, AND CORRECTIONS POSITIONS. TABLES AND NARRATIVE PRESENT FINDINGS AND DISCUSS EDUCATION AND TRAINING NEEDED.

Abstract

FIELD VISITS TO 240 CORRECTIONS, COURT, AND POLICE AGENCIES WERE UTILIZED TO COMPILE THIS DETAILED SURVEY OF JOB-RELATED KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY VARIOUS CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL. THE NARRATIVE PORTION OF THIS REPORT DISCUSSES VARIATIONS IN STAFFING BY SIZE OF AGENCY, BUDGET, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARTICULAR INSTITUTION. TABLES DETAIL COMMON KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN JOB AREAS AS WELL AS EDUCATION AND TRAINING APPROPRIATE FOR PERSONS HOLDING THESE JOBS. IN GENERAL, THE SURVEY FOUND A TREND TOWARD GREATER PROFESSIONALIZATION WITHIN ALL ASPECTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. ONLY THE SMALLEST AGENCIES PERFORM FUNCTIONS NOT GERMANE TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE JOB AT HAND. WITH THIS GREATER PROFESSIONALIZATION HAS COME A GREATER EMPHASIS ON TRAINING. IN GENERAL, THE JOB OF PATROL OFFICER IS EXPECTED TO BE INFLUENCED BY TEAM POLICING, THE POLICE AGENT POSITION, GREATER USE OF CIVILIAN PERSONNEL, GREATER SPECIALIZATION, AND CONTINUED EDUCATION. THE RECENTLY DEVELOPED OCCUPATIONS OF EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN, POLICE PLANNER, AND POLICE LEGAL ADVISOR ARE EXPECTED TO GROW. IN THE CORRECTIONS SECTOR, THERE IS NEED FOR GREATER DEFINITION OF SKILLS NEEDED IN INSTITUTIONAL VERSUS COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS ENVIRONMENTS. GREATER TRAINING IN INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IS NEEDED; DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL PRESERVICE AND INSERVICE TRAINING PROGRAMS IS AN INITIAL STEP IN ACQUIRING SUCH SKILLS. THE BASIC CORRECTIONS JOB IS NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE GREATLY IN COMING YEARS, BUT THE CURRENT EMPHASIS ON TRAINING SHOULD SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECT THE WAY THE JOB IS PERFORMED. THERE IS ALSO NEED FOR MORE AND BETTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS AND FOR BETTER DEFINED ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOWER-LEVEL CORRECTIONS PERSONNEL. BOTH JUVENILE CORRECTIONS AND PROBATION AND PAROLE SERVICES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF INCREASING FORMAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. GENERALLY, PERSONNEL ARE BETTER TRAINED THAN THEY WERE 5 YEARS AGO. THERE IS ALSO A MOVEMENT TOWARD GREATER INTEGRATION WITH OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THE COURTS PRESENT A FRAGMENTED PICTURE. GENERALLY, THE LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO CONSTITUTE THE BASIC LABOR POOL FOR PROSECUTOR AND DEFENDER POSITIONS DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT GROUNDING IN CRIMINAL LAW. INSERVICE COURSES ARE RECOMMENDED. PARALEGAL POSITIONS ARE SEEN INCREASING. THE NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL COURT MANAGERS -- EITHER SEPARATE INDIVIDUALS OR JUDGES WHO HAVE BECOME TRAINED IN MANAGEMENT SKILLS -- WILL INCREASE AS COURT CASE LOADS INCREASE. REORGANIZATIONS IN MANY AREAS ARE ELIMINATING SMALLER COURTS, SUCH AS JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, AND CREATING A NEED FOR PERSONNEL, POSSIBLY PARALEGAL, TO HANDLE MINOR CASES. GREATER INTEGRATION WITH OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES IS SEEN AS THE MAJOR PROBLEM FACING COURTS TODAY. ATTACHMENTS CONSIST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUDICIAL PROCESS, AND CORRECTIONS DATA INSTRUMENTS.