NCJ Number
185837
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 64 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2000 Pages: 46-50
Date Published
June 2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Understanding of the personality traits and deficiencies of drug-abusing offenders is crucial to selecting probation and parole officers with a style most likely to contribute to behavioral change through a strategy that involves intensive surveillance and treatment and that challenges the disease model of drug abuse.
Abstract
The Federal probation office in the Central District of California at Los Angeles implemented this proactive supervision strategy. This approach requires total abstinence and holds offenders accountable for their decision to use drugs or alcohol. The threat of custody is used mainly to motivate offenders to participate in treatment, although incarceration always remains an operation as a consequence for violating the conditions of probation, parole, or supervised release. The personality traits exhibited by drug abusers do not readily respond to the non-directive, social worker approach. A combination of traits that may include impulsivity, sociopathy or psychopathy, depression, low energy, egocentricity, low self-esteem, anxiety, and a low tolerance for frustration do not readily respond to the disease model approach. Therefore, the probation officer drug specialist should have authoritative personality traits such as dominance, being imposing, and decisiveness. These traits differ from less desirable authoritarian traits, including tyrannical, dictatorial, and harsh. Specialists also need excellent organizational skills. A review of the probation literature indicates that the authoritative traits needed to supervise these offenders effectively are mostly likely to exist in the law-enforcer style and not in the social-worker approach. This strategy has been successful in achieving low rates of positive drug tests and recidivism in the Central District of California, thereby contributing to community safety while serving the offender’s best interests. 26 references