NCJ Number
49246
Date Published
1971
Length
217 pages
Annotation
PROBATION OFFICER DUTIES ARE DEFINED, RATED ACCORDING TO COMPLEXITY, AND RELATED TO OFFICER EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, AND THE SELF-CONCEPT OF OFFICERS IS EXAMINED IN RELATION TO JOB ATTITUDES AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT.
Abstract
THE PROCEDURES USED IN THE STUDY WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO BROAD PHASES. THE FIRST PHASE UTILIZED A QUESTIONNAIRE TO DEFINE THE JOB DUTIES OF SOCIAL CASEWORK IN PROBATION AND PAROLE; A COMPLEXITY SCALE OF DUTIES OF PROBATION OFFICERS WAS DEVELOPED FROM THE RESPONSES. IN THE SECOND PHASE, THE JOB DUTY SCALE, ALONG WITH MEASURES OF JOB ATTITUDE AND PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT, WERE RELATED TO THE EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF THE OFFICERS-BACHELOR OF ARTS IN SOCIAL WORK (BA) AND MASTERS IN SOCIAL WORK (MSW). FOURTEEN PROBATION OFFICERS FROM A DISTRICT CONSIDERED TYPICAL OF THE FOURTEEN DISTRICT OFFICES IN WISCONSIN WERE GUIDED THROUGH JOB DUTY QUESTIONNAIRES. A PANEL OF PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED JUDGES THEN RATED EACH OF THE 30 DUTY DESCRIPTIONS ACCORDING TO COMPLEXITY. IN THE SECOND PHASE, 141 PROBATION OFFICERS FROM THROUGHOUT THE STATE WERE USED AS THE SAMPLE. THIRTY OF THESE HAD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK. THE OFFICERS WERE ASKED TO RESPOND TO THE THIRTY DUTIES DEFINED FROM THE FIRST PHASE, INDICATING: 1) THOSE DUTIES THEY CURRENTLY PERFORMS; 2) THEIR PREFERENCE FOR EACH OF THE DUTIES; AND 3) THOSE DUTIES WHICH SHOULD BE PERFORMED BY THE BA OFFICERS, THOSE TO BE PERFORMED BY MSW OFFICERS, AND THOSE THAT COULD BE PERFORMED BY EITHER BA OR MSW OFFICERS. A JOB ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE AND ANOTHER MEASURING SELF-CONCEPT WERE ALSO ADMINISTERED. ALTHOUGH THE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED NO DIFFERENCE IN THE COMPLEXITY OF DUTIES ACTUALLY PERFORMED AND PREFERRED BY THE BA AND MSW OFFICERS, THE SUBJECTS DID DIFFERENTIATE AS TO WHICH DUTIES THEY THOUGHT WERE MOST APPROPRIATELY PERFORMED BY EACH GROUP. THEY WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE DUTIES OF THE BA OFFICERS SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS COMPLEX THAN THOSE PERFORMED BY MSW OFFICERS. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO CLEAR DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN JOB ATTITUDES AND SELF-CONCEPTS ACCORDING TO EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE FACTORS AND SATISFACTION WITH THE AGENCY, RETENTION AND TURNOVER RATES, WORKER WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE FURTHER EDUCATION, AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF EXPANDED CASELOAD LEVELS. IMPLICATIONS FROM THESE FINDINGS ARE EXPLORED. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS ARE APPENDED, AND TABULAR DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED.