Probation Paper
In 2011, there were around 4.3 million Americans came onto or off probation (BOJ, 2011). Probation departments are para-military organizations but also have an aspect of socialism to them. Clear department goals help probation officers to know their roles and make appropriate decisions. Furthermore, the work expectations of a younger generation are different and do not necessarily fit into the traditional model of military type organizations. Examination of the probation organizational behavior will answer many questions, including the challenges to the deterrence of crime, financial, and the ability of probation officers to focus on offenders risk/needs.
Probation Goals
Probation serves three goals: 1. Change lives, they attempt to find and deal with the underlying causes of the offense, refer to appropriate social service including drug counseling, mental health, anger management classes, budgeting classes, unemployment assistance, and coping skills.
2. Protect the public, they supervise the offenders, make home/employment contacts, give drug/alcohol tests, monitor associates, and work with law enforcement to ensure they remain law-abiding.
3. Serve Justice, they ensure the offenders are paying back victims and society, establish community service programs, monitor restitution payments, give consequences for poor behavior, including curfews, house arrest, short incarceration periods, and electronic monitoring or GPS.
Probation Organization Probation officers serve two separate and often conflicting roles; law enforcement and social worker. For instance, if an offender has a positive drug test, the law enforcement side wants immediate justice but the social worker half insists on referring to drug counseling. There are usually no concrete rules (other than committing a new felony) on when to request a revocation of probation. Administering assessments help in the role to supervise an offender and what type of referrals to make, but
Probation Goals
Probation serves three goals: 1. Change lives, they attempt to find and deal with the underlying causes of the offense, refer to appropriate social service including drug counseling, mental health, anger management classes, budgeting classes, unemployment assistance, and coping skills.
2. Protect the public, they supervise the offenders, make home/employment contacts, give drug/alcohol tests, monitor associates, and work with law enforcement to ensure they remain law-abiding.
3. Serve Justice, they ensure the offenders are paying back victims and society, establish community service programs, monitor restitution payments, give consequences for poor behavior, including curfews, house arrest, short incarceration periods, and electronic monitoring or GPS.
Probation Organization Probation officers serve two separate and often conflicting roles; law enforcement and social worker. For instance, if an offender has a positive drug test, the law enforcement side wants immediate justice but the social worker half insists on referring to drug counseling. There are usually no concrete rules (other than committing a new felony) on when to request a revocation of probation. Administering assessments help in the role to supervise an offender and what type of referrals to make, but