NCJ Number
90446
Journal
Change Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (1983) Pages: complete issue
Editor(s)
J Dinsmore
Date Published
1983
Length
22 pages
Annotation
A series of articles on probation considers a format for reforming probation, implications of developing probation under a justice model, critical issues in probation, an analysis of juvenile probation in New York City, probation classification, and building a constituency for probation in Los Angeles.
Abstract
An article on rethinking probation emphasizes viewing probation as a sanction in itself rather than as an alternative to incarceration, as involving some deprivation of liberty and victim or community reparation, and as a brokering of social services from the community undertaken voluntarily by the offender. In another presentation, a preliminary model of probation involves (1) limiting the use of probation of juveniles convicted of misdemeanors and felonies only, (2) changing the nature of the probation order to retribution and victim and community reparation, (3) limiting the function of probation to investigations and case monitoring, (4) initiating the probation function after the point of adjudication, (5) holding separate adjudicatory and dispositional hearings, and (6) removing coercive treatment elements. A discussion of the critical probation issues identified by the American Probation and Parole Association survey includes consideration of working papers on caseload size, budget cutbacks, community resources, salaries and benefits, community support, and probation mission and goals. Articles focusing on the implementation of the justice model in probation address the use of social services under the model and juvenile probation. Findings and recommendations are presented from an empirical study of juvenile probation in New York City, which identified a gradual erosion of services over two decades. Factors involved in the successful implementation of a probation classification system are discussed, and a project to build a constituency for probation support in Los Angeles is described.