NCJ Number
207139
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 68 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 59-63
Date Published
June 2004
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study assessed clients’ satisfaction with services provided by the United States Pretrial Services Office for the District of Nebraska (U.S. Pretrial Services).
Abstract
U.S. Pretrial Services provides services to a diverse population, including judges, United States Marshals, United States and defense attorneys, defendants, and United States Probation, alcohol, and drug treatment staff. There is a marked lack of research concerning client satisfaction with U.S. Pretrial Services. The current study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive survey that assessed the quality of services provided to clients and clients’ attitudes toward the services received. The survey sample included seven customer groups: judges, defense attorneys, United States attorneys, United States Marshals, United States Probation officers, drug and alcohol treatment staff, and past and current defendants. Respondents overwhelmingly perceived U.S. Pretrial staff to be professional, perhaps as a result of the emphasis on professionalism within the office. More than half of the defendants thought they were treated fairly and that they received accurate information. Judges and United States attorneys saw a need for improvement in the timeliness of reporting violations. Limitations of the study are discussed and several recommendations are offered for the improvement of services, including the building of bilingual capabilities. Future research should extend this research to additional client groups. Tables, references