NCJ Number
46342
Date Published
1976
Length
4 pages
Annotation
USE OF VOLUNTEERS BY WYANDOTTE COUNTY, KAN., JUVENILE COURT TO HELP ITS 8 PROBATION OFFICERS HANDLE A CASELOAD OF 3500-4000 JUVENILE REPORTS A YEAR IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
WYANDOTTE COUNTY CONTAINS BOTH URBAN AND RURAL AREAS, BUT 85 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION LIVES IN KANSAS CITY, KAN., WHICH GENERATES A HIGH NUMBER OF JUVENILE CRIME COMPLAINTS. THE WYANDOT MENTAL HEALTH CENTER WAS ASKED TO WORK OUT A METHOD TO USE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP THE 8 PROBATION OFFICERS DEAL WITH THE 3500-4000 JUVENILE REPORTS RECEIVED EACH YEAR. THE PROGRAM HAD TWO PHASES. THE FIRST USED VOLUNTEERS AS ASSISTANTS TO PROBATION OFFICERS. THE SECOND ATTEMPTED TO DEVELOP A STANDARDIZED BATTERY OF PERSONALITY TESTS AND QUESTIONNAIRES WHICH COULD BE ADMINISTERED BY VOLUNTEERS AND INTERPRETED BY THE CONSULTING PSYCHOLOGIST. THE VOLUNTEERS ASSISTING THE PROBATION OFFICERS ASSUMED LESS SEVERE CASES AND PROVIDED A CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP TO HELP DETER FURTHER DELINQUENT ACTS. THEY FUNCTIONED MORE AS CARING PRIVATE CITIZENS. CHRONIC OFFENDERS OR MORE SERIOUSLY MALADJUSTED INDIVIDUALS WERE HANDLED THROUGH OFFICIAL LEGAL CHANNELS OR WERE REFERRED TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CENTER FOR EVALUATION AND TREATMENT. THIS PHASE OF THE PROGRAM RAN INTO DIFFICULTIES BECAUSE MANY VOLUNTEERS LEFT DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS OR LOSS OF INTEREST. HOWEVER, FEEDBACK FROM PROBATION OFFICERS AND JUVENILE COURT OFFICIALS WAS POSITIVE. THOSE VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTINUED INDEED EASED CASELOADS AND ENABLED MANY MINOR CASES TO BE HANDLED WITHOUT OFFICIAL COURT ACTION. IT WAS FELT THAT THIS STAGE OF THE PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE SECOND PHASE WAS TO HELP MAKE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION POSSIBLE FOR A GREATER NUMBER OF OFFENDERS BY LETTING VOLUNTEERS ADMINISTER PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS, WHICH COULD THEN BE INTERPRETED BY THE PSYCHOLOGIST. THE BATTERY OF TESTS CHOSEN FOR THIS PURPOSE INCLUDED THE READING VOCABULARY TEST FROM THE WIDE RANGE ACHIEVEMENT TEST (JASTAK, BIJOU, AND JASTAK, 1965); THE JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE (CATTELL AND CATTELL, 1969), THE LOCUS OF CONTROL (BIALER, 1961); THE INTELLECTUAL ACHIEVEMENT RESPONSIBILITY (CRANDALL, KATOVSKY, AND CRANDALL, 1965); JUNIOR EYSENCK PERSONALITY INVENTORY (EYSENCK, 1965); AND A SENTENCE COMPLETION TEST VOLUNTEERS WERE ALSO TRAINED TO CONDUCT A STRUCTURED INTERVIEW WITH THE PARENTS. A WEAKNESS WHICH HAS COME TO LIGHT IS THAT THE PSYCHOLOGIST HAS NEVER SEEN THE ADOLESCENT. THE VOLUNTEER NEEDS TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST TO CALL ATTENTION TO ANY UNUSUAL TEST-TAKING BEHAVIOR OR PROBLEMS. A SECOND PROBLEM IS THAT ONLY MINOR OFFENDERS ARE BEING TESTED; THOSE CHRONIC OR SEVERE OFFENDERS WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO THE REGULAR PROBATION OFFICERS ARE NOT. SOME PROBATION OFFICERS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO USE THE TESTS. HOWEVER, IF USE CAN BE ENCOURAGED, THIS PART OF THE PROGRAM CAN AID THE TOTAL DISPOSITION OF JUVENILE CASES. (GLR)