INITIAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OBJECTIVE-BASED PAROLE SUPERVISION

• NCJ Number: 67824
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: Kentucky Bureau of Corrections
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

OBJECTIVE-BASED PAROLE SUPERVISION WAS MONITORED DURING THE FIRST MONTHS OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND AN INITIAL REVIEW OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS WAS CONDUCTED BY THE EVALUATION UNIT OF KENTUCKY'S BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS.

Abstract

TRAINING FOR THE PAROLE PROGRAM INCLUDED A 2-HOUR TRAINING SESSION ON NEW PROCEDURES AND A 40-HOUR INSERVICE TRAINING SESSION. MANUALS WERE DISTRIBUTED AT THE TRAINING SESSION. CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE EVALUATION UNIT DEVELOPED A PROGRAM RATIONALE WHICH SPECIFIED THE ACTIVITIES INVOLVED AND IMMEDIATE RESULTS EXPECTED, LONG TERM OUTCOMES OF THE PROGRAM, AND MANAGEMENT CONCERNS. MEMBERS OF THE EVALUATION TEAM THEN VISITED PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICES IN THE STATE TO DETERMINE WHAT PROBLEMS OFFICERS HAD IN IMPLEMENTING OBJECTIVE-BASED PAROLE SUPERVISION, WHICH ASPECTS THEY FELT WERE POSITIVE, AND THE SUGGESTIONS THEY HAD FOR CHANGE. INFORMATION FROM THESE INTERVIEWS LED TO A QUESTIONNAIRE THAT WAS SENT TO ALL PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERS IN KENTUCKY. RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED FROM 87 OFFICERS AND STATISTICALLY ANALYZED WITH A COMPUTERIZED PROGRAM. RESULTS INDICATED THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM WAS GENERALLY SUCCESSFUL; OF THE OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN TRAINED, MOST WERE COMPLETING SUPERVISION PLANS ON THEIR CLIENTS. SEVERAL DIFFICULTIES WERE IDENTIFIED: THERE WERE PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN ALL AREAS FOR ALL TYPE OF CLIENTS SERVED; CONFUSION EXISTED OVER REDUCING THE LEVEL OF SUPERVISION AND CHANGING CLIENTS FROM ACTIVE TO INACTIVE SUPERVISION; AND MORE THAN 20 WORKING DAYS WERE NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE SUPERVISION PLAN. THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PUBLICIZING THE CHANGE TO OBJECTIVE-BASED SUPERVISION AMONG JUDGES IN ORDER TO SOLICIT MORE JUDICIAL SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM, AND CLARIFICATION SHOULD BE ISSUED ON SEVERAL PROCEDURES. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE APPLICABILITY OF THE SUPERVISION PLAN TO MISDEMEANANT AND CONDITIONAL RELEASE CLIENTS, AND OFFENDER AWARENESS OF THE SUPERVISION PLAN SHOULD BE INCREASED. FORMS OF THE PAROLE OFFICER INTERVIEW AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)