Changing Role of Probation and Parole Professionals

1. Chapter 11 Probation and Parole Professionals

2. Introduction • The PO role seems to be changing • There are serious concerns throughout the correctional community about whether POs are police officers or peace officers • PO work is increasingly specialized • Gangs are a pervasive part of society, therefore POs have to be familiar with affiliations • PO work is stressful

3. Probation and Parole: Risk/Needs Assessment • Assessing offender risk: brief history • Many risk assessment measures have been devised and used for determining probabilities of clients to engage in dangerous behaviors • These instruments allow corrections personnel to highlight client weaknesses • Criminologist and criminal justice scholars have become increasingly involved in devising risk assessment inventories • Dangerousness and risk are often used interchangeably • Needs assessment instruments also measure an offender’s social skills, health, well being, and emotional stability

4. Probation and Parole: Risk/Needs Assessment • Types of risk assessment instruments • Anamnestic prediction • Prediction of offender behavior according to past circumstances • Actuarial prediction • Prediction based on the characteristics of a classofoffenders • Clinical prediction • Prediction based on predictor’s professional training and experience

5. Probation and Parole: Risk/Needs Assessment • The effectiveness of risk assessment devices • Presently efforts to predict offender behavior remain at best an unstable business • Two important questions in designing an instrument are: • Which factors are most relevant in prediction? • What weight should be given to each of these factors?

6. Probation and Parole: Risk/Needs Assessment • Some applications of risk/needs measures • Ohio’s goals and objectives • Provide for public protection • Provide appropriate continuum of sanctions • Provide safe, secure, and humane conditions • Recognize achievement of inmates with problems • Make the decision-making process more open

7. Probation and Parole: Risk/Needs Assessment • Selective incapacitation • Incarcerating certain offenders deemed high risks to public safetyand not incarcerating other offenders determined to be low risks • Is designed to reduce crime by incarcerating only those most likely to recidivate • Obviously it is discriminatory and ethics and fairness of predictive sentencing are called into question • There are too many variables that can interfere with proper prediction of individual behavior

8. The Changing Probation/Parole Officer Role • The quality of PO personnel is increasing compared with past years • A belief is that more educated personnel may be better able to manage the stress associated with PO work • At the same time, those with higher education also have higher levels of job dissatisfaction • EM and home confinement is changing the qualifications of those who supervise offenders • Private enterprise in now entering the field

9. The Changing Probation/Parole Officer Role • Global positioning satellite systems: tracking offenders from outer space • Technological advancements have modified PO roles and how they do their jobs • With GPS, POs can track an offender on a computer and tell what street the offender is on, anywhere in the state • POs can also send instant messages to their clients and warn offenders • These cannot, however, detect other violations such as substance abuse

10. The Changing Probation/Parole Officer Role • Apprehension units • One fact faced by probation and parole agencies is that some proportion of their clients will abscond • All departments of corrections throughout the United States have apprehension units • Apprehension units are dedicated departments consisting of specialists who engage in offender tracking and apprehension • Their business is to find absconders and bring them back to their jurisdictions for punishment

11. The Changing Probation/Parole Officer Role • Gang units • In 2002, there were over 29,000 known gangs in the United States • Consisting of over 800,000 members • This has become a major problem for POs • As such gang units have been formed to learn more about gang affiliated clientele • PO agencies strive to enhance their knowledge of both street and prison gangs in order to more effectively supervise them

12. The Changing Probation/Parole Officer Role • Research units • An essential part of any probation or parole department is a research unit • These units compile extensive information about probationer and parolee characteristics as well as information about jail and prison populations • These units are essential to effective probation and parole program planning

13. Stress and Burnout in Probation/Parole Officer Role Performance • Stress • Stress is a nonspecific response to a perceived threat to an individual’s well being or self esteem • Each person will act differently to varying stressors • In-service training therefore is very important in helping officers to become aware of these stressor as well as symptoms of stress • Some stress is good, in moderate amounts it can enhance the learning and creative processes

14. Stress and Burnout in Probation/Parole Officer Role Performance • Burnout • Burnout is one result of stress • It is a term used to describe work alienation, apathy, depersonalization, depression, and other job related complaints • There is no agreement as to how burnout should be defined • Maslach (1982) has identified at least 15 different connotations of the term

15. Stress and Burnout in Probation/Parole Officer Role Performance • Sources of Stress • Job dissatisfaction • Role conflict • Role ambiguity • Officer-client interactions • Excessive paperwork and performance pressures • Low self-esteem and public image • Job risks and liabilities

16. Stress and Burnout in Probation/Parole Officer Role Performance • Mitigating factors to alleviate stress and burnout • Incorporate features into PO training programs to make them more streetwise • This will help them be safer when conducting face-to-face interviews • This may include things like hand-to-hand combat training or other self-defense skills

17. Volunteers in Probation/Parole Work • Volunteers in probation or parole work • Any unpaid person who performs auxiliary, supplemental, augmentive, or any other work services • Examples: • Serving as tutors • Providing transportation to parenting sessions • Teaching hobby skills • Teaching computer and job search skills • Providing gifts around the holidays

18. Volunteers in Probation/Parole Work • Criticisms of volunteers in corrections • Pervasive volunteer naivete • Lack of long-term commitments • Do not work independently • Volunteers lack expertise and experience • Volunteers threaten job security • Some volunteers may be aiders and abetters

19. Paraprofessionals in Probation/Parole Work • Salaried assistants working with Professionals • Roles: • Depends on amount of training • Some assist mental health professionals in prisons • Some work with children • Used in mediation projects such as alternative dispute resolution

20. Volunteers in Probation/Parole Work • Legal liabilities - Volunteers and Paraprofessionals • The case of Hyland v. Wonder (1992) • Liability issues may include: • Negligent hiring • Negligent assignment • Negligent retention • Negligent entrustment • Negligent direction • Negligent supervision