EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PAROLE SUPERVISION OF JUVENILES AND SOCIAL SERVICE UTILIZATION

• NCJ Number: 49387
• Journal: IOWA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (DECEMBER 1976) Pages: 80-89
• Author(s): J HUDSON; C D HOLLISTER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Iowa
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE EFFECTS OF TRADITIONAL PAROLE SUPERVISION ON PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT OF A SAMPLE OF 234 JUVENILE MALES AND FEMALES RELEASED FROM STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS WERE STUDIED. LITTLE DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND.

Abstract

TRADITIONALLY, IT HAS BEEN ASSUMED THAT A PAROLEE NEEDS HELP IN ADJUSTING TO WORK, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT THE PAROLE OFFICER GIVES NEEDED HELP BY DIRECT COUNSELING PLUS REFERRAL TO APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THIS CONTROLLED STUDY EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL PAROLE SUPERVISION BY ASSIGNING 170 BOYS AND 64 GIRLS RELEASED FROM THE TWO MAJOR DELINQUENCY INSTITUTIONS IN MINNESOTA TO ONE OF TWO GROUPS. THE FIRST RECEIVED TRADITIONAL PAROLE SUPERVISION; THE SECOND RECEIVED NO SUPERVISION. A SERIES OF QUESTIONNAIRES WERE USED TO ASSESS PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT. THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THE PAROLEES TURNED TO OTHERS FOR HELP AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE USEFULNESS OF THE HELP WERE USED AS MEASURES OF ADJUSTMENT. LITTLE DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT VARIATION WAS ONE ITEM AMONG BOYS PAROLED WITHOUT SUPERVISION; 41 PERCENT UNDER SUPERVISION FOUND SCHOOL PERSONNEL AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF HELP WITH PROBLEMS WHILE ONLY 6 PERCENT WITHOUT SUPERVISION CONFIDED IN SCHOOL PERSONNEL. A LARGER NUMBER OF GIRLS THAN BOYS SOUGHT HELP FROM SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, BUT WITHIN SEX GROUPS THERE WAS LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUPERVISED AND UNSUPERVISED PAROLEES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE TRADITIONAL RATIONALE THAT PAROLE AGENTS PUT OFFENDERS IN TOUCH WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY ACCURATE. THOSE WITHOUT SUPERVISION FOUND RESOURCES AS READILY AS THOSE USING PAROLE OFFICER AID. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDING WAS THE LOW DEGREE OF HELPFULNESS REPORTED BY BOTH GROUPS. THE COMMUNITY SERVICES WERE NOT PARTICULARLY RELEVANT FOR JUVENILES IN TROUBLE. THE SURVEY DATA IS PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. (GLR)