NCJ Number
53728
Date Published
1977
Length
235 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION, PERFORMED USING OVER 200 INTERVIEWS OF KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL, FOUND LIMITED MANAGEMENT RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATION PROBLEMS. IMPROVEMENTS ARE SUGGESTED.
Abstract
THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION'S GENERAL GOAL IS THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, ADULT CRIME, AND RELATED FAMILY MALFUNCTIONING. THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT HAS THREE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS, ALL MANDATED BY LAW: (1) FAMILY COURT INTAKE SCREENING OF DELINQUENCY AND OTHER CASES FOR ADJUSTMENT, COURT REFERRAL, OR REFERRAL TO ANOTHER AGENCY; (2) CONDUCTING COURT-ORDERED INVESTIGATIONS TO ASSIST THE COURT IN SENTENCING ADULT DEFENDANTS OR IN PLACEMENT OF JUVENILE RESPONDENTS; AND (3) PROVIDING SUPERVISION SERVICES TO THOSE PLACED ON PROBATION BY A COURT. IN THE HOPES OF DEVELOPING A NEW ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL, THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT WAS EVALUATED IN 1977. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD LIMITED MANAGEMENT RESOURCES, SUFFERED FROM SERIOUS ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS, AND WAS GENERALLY UNDERSTAFFED. IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT SUFFERED FROM A LACK OF ADEQUATE STATISTICAL RESOURCES, A LACK OF LONG-RANGE PLANNING, AND A LACK OF CLEAR STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE. FURTHERMORE, THE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYED AN AGING FIELD FORCE AND TOO FEW VOLUNTEERS. THE PROGRAM ALSO SUFFERED FROM BUREAUCRATIC AND CLERICAL OBSTACLES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT LARGE-SCALE ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION TAKE PLACE. CONSOLIDATION AND ELIMINATION OF VARIOUS STAFF POSITIONS AND ROLES ARE URGED. UNNECCESSARY CLERICAL WORK SHOULD BE ELIMINATED. A PROGRAM FOR PROBATION VOLUNTEERS SHOULD BE GREATLY EXPANDED. FINALLY, NEW PROBATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION INDICATORS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. TABLES AND FIGURES ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)