NCJ Number
143528
Journal
Home Office Research and Statistics Department Research Bulletin Issue: 33 Dated: (1993) Pages: 15-17
Date Published
1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Data from the 1990 National Probation Survey conducted in England were used to show how probation staff divide their time among different tasks in order to prepare cost estimates and help resource planning.
Abstract
The data were collected from work diaries completed by 2,400 probation staff including senior officers, main-grade officers, and probation service assistants. The results showed that the officers spent approximately 23 percent of their work-week on supervision of offenders and other court orders. The rest of their time was divided among duties including after-care, preparation of court reports, and court duty. Although the general pattern of working hours has changed little since a similar survey was conducted in 1977, the findings do indicate that officers spend more time per case, including report preparation. Since 1977, officers have also spent more time on non-casework activities, including crime prevention, victim support, and bail assistance. The workload weighting information derived from the survey, combined with projections of expected workloads for a given time, will be used to estimate probation service staff needs. 2 references