Accounts, Attitudes, and Solutions - Probation Officer-Defendant Negotiations of Subjective Orientations

• NCJ Number: 89496
• Journal: Social Problems Volume: 30 Issue: 5 Dated: (June 1983) Pages: 570-581
• Author(s): J W Spencer
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Research on probation officers (PO's) has failed to recognize the existence of defendants' subjective orientations in sentencing recommendations following presentencing interviews.

Abstract

Tape recordings of interactions between PO's and defendants were analyzed to see how officers assess defendants' orientations toward their criminal behavior. Results showed that officers negotiate these orientations to obtain acceptable responses from defendants. In addition, officers use these responses to label defendants for the purpose of making sentencing recommendations. Footnotes and about 25 references are included. (Author abstract modified)