NCJ Number
172672
Journal
Corrections Management Quarterly Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 1998 Pages: 31-39
Date Published
1998
Length
9 pages
Annotation
New collaborations between probation and local law enforcement offer a way to overcome problems in traditional probation, but probation executives need to know the potential disadvantages of this innovation and should take care to find a fit between their agency philosophy and any new alliances with the police.
Abstract
Recent critiques emphasize that probation is not a credible sanction; it has defaulted on its responsibility to provide close supervision and strict enforcement. New partnerships between probation and local law enforcement try to overcome this problem. These partnerships focus on information sharing and joint operations, including intensive supervision and the apprehension of absconders. New programs such as Boston's Operation Night Light have achieved much early success. However, such programs may also encounter the problems of mission creep, mission distortion, and organizational lag. Probation-police partnerships cannot simply be grafted onto existing organizational arrangements. Instead, work assignments, contact standards, and management information systems will all need to change; strong leadership will also be required. Tables and 12 references (Author abstract modified)