PROBATION OFFICER CASE AIDE PROJECT - FINAL REPORT PHASE 2

• NCJ Number: 15563
• Author(s): G WITKOWSKI; E R REST; G J BUSIEL
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 384 pages
• Grant Number(s): PHS RESEARCH GRANT 194 444; R 01 MH 14610; 650-0317
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare; Federal Judicial Ctr; Ford Foundation
• Corporate Author: University of Chicago
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CONTINUATION OF THE PROBATION OFFICER CASE AIDE PROJECT (POCA) WHICH FOCUSED ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FULL AND PART-TIME PROBATION OFFICER AIDES (POA), AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROBATION OFFICER-POA TEAMS.

Abstract

THE REPORT REVEALS THAT DESPITE THE ONE TO ONE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POA'S AND OFFICERS, THE POA'S TASKS VARIED VERY LITTLE. FULL TIME POA'S HAD ONLY EIGHT PERCENT OF THEIR TIME ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATIVE WORK, AND THIS WAS TWICE AS MUCH AS PART-TIME POA'S. THE SUPERVISORY TASKS THAT THEY DID PERFORM WERE HANDLED VERY EFFECTIVELY IN THE OPINION OF THE PROBATION OFFICERS. ALTHOUGH AT FIRST THERE WAS SOME FRICTION BETWEEN THE POA'S AND THE PROBATION OFFICERS, IT WAS SOMEWHAT REDUCED BY THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE GROUPS. BOTH FULL AND PART TIME POA'S WERE EFFECTIVE. FULL TIME POA'S WERE MORE LIKELY TO IDENTIFY WITH OFFICERS AND MORE LIKELY TO FUNCTION AS PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, WHILE PART-TIME POA'S WERE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR ACCESSIBILITY TO THE CLIENTELE. FOR A REPORT ON PHASE I OF POCA, REFER TO NCJ-015562.