DIFFERENTIAL CLASSIFICATION FOR THE SUPERVISION OF ADULT PROBATIONERS - AN OPERATIONAL DESIGN (FROM AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION - PROCEEDINGS OF THE 106TH ANNUAL CONGRESS OF CORRECTIONS, 1976 - SEE NCJ-49145)

• NCJ Number: 49166
• Author(s): J J GOLBIN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: American Correctional Association
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND OPERATION OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y., DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION'S DIFFERENTIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ADULT OFFENDERS ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

THE COUNTY DEVELOPED ITS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM BY MEANS OF A TWO-PHASE PILOT STUDY. THE SYSTEM PROVIDES FOR THE SEPARATION OF CASES INTO THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES: INTENSIVE SUPERVISION, ACTIVE SUPERVISION, AND SPECIAL SUPERVISION. CASES ARE ASSIGNED TO THE INTENSIVE AND ACTIVE CATEGORIES ON THE BASIS OF FOUR MAJOR VARIABLES (CURRENT OFFENSE, PHYCHOLOGICAL INSTABILITY, PRIOR RECORD, AND SOCIAL INSTABILITY) AND ONE MINOR VARIABLE (AGE), USED ONLY FOR MARGINAL CASES. PROBATIONERS ARE ASSIGNED TO THE SPECIAL SUPERVISION CATEGORY AFTER A SATISFACTORY PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT UNDER ACTIVE SUPERVISION AND WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PROBATION OFFICER. DEFINITIONS OF THE CLASSIFICATION VARIABLES ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH CRITERIA FOR CASE CLASSIFICATION, EXAMPLES OF CLASSIFICATIONS, AND A COPY OF THE CLASSIFICATION FORM. OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ARE NOTED, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURACY IN DETERMINING THE PROBATIONER'S STATUS ON MAJOR VARIABLES, THE NEED FOR STAFF TRAINING IN THE USE OF THE CLASSIFICATION INSTRUMENT, STAFF INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEM DESIGN AS A MEAN OF PROMOTING POSITIVE REACTION TO CHANGE, AND THE NEED FOR EVALUATION PROCEDURES TO BE BUILT INTO THE CLASSIFICATION DESIGN. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)