NCJ Number
60893
Date Published
1978
Length
211 pages
Annotation
THE PROBATION AND SUPERVISION PROCESS AND ITS CONFORMITY TO MODELS OF SOCIALIZATION ARE EXAMINED DESCRIPTIVELY USING CASE EXAMPLES FROM ONE LARGE URBAN AREA'S PROBATION DEPARTMENT.
Abstract
THE SIX SOCIALIZTION MODELS SELECTED WERE THE PSYCHOANALYTIC, THE SELF-OTHER, THE COGNITIVE-DEVELOPMENTAL, CLASSICAL CONDITIONING, OPERANT CONDITIONING, AND SOCIAL LEARNING. THE 10 CASE HISTORIES CHOSEN WERE FROM THE INVESTIGATOR'S ACTUAL CASELOAD DURING WORK AS A METROPOLITAN PROBATION OFFICER FROM 1969 TO 1975. OFFENDER TYPES RANGED FROM AN ASSAULT REPEATER TO AN INTOXICATED DRIVER REPEATER. THE SUPERVISION PROCESS WAS FOUND TO BE AN EDUCATIVE OR REFORMATIVE ONE WHICH CONFORMS TO AN INTERDEPENDENT NETWORK OF PRIORITY, METHOD, AND OUTCOME. THE PROCESS PLACES GREATER PRIORITY ON THE PROBATIONER'S ACTUAL BEHAVIOR THAN ON THE PROBATIONER'S ACQUISITION OF EXPECTED VALUES UNDERLYING THE BEHAVIOR. MOREOVER, THE PROCESS USES REINFORCEMENT AS ITS MAIN MEANS OF INDUCING OBEDIENCE BY THE PROBATIONER. THE RESULT IS OPPORTUNISTIC, OR SUPERFICIAL, LEARNING BY THE PROBATIONERS. CURRENT PROBLEMS WITH THE PROBATION SYSTEM ALSO INCLUDE EXCESSIVE CASELOADS, LIMITS ON CHANCES FOR BEHAVIORAL ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN PROBATION OFFICERS AND PROBATIONERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS WITHIN THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT. THROUGH CRITICAL REFLECTION ON THEIR ROLE, PROBATION PERSONNEL CAN BENEFIT FROM EXERCISES IN SELF-CONFRONTATION AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THIS STUDY. TABLES, FIGURES, DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PROBATION OFFICER'S ROLE AND OF EACH SOCIALIZATION THEORY, DETAILS OF EACH CASE HISTORY, FOOTNOTES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)