NCJ Number
182942
Journal
Corrections Management Quarterly Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2000 Pages: 61-67
Date Published
2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses what a field correctional agency must consider if it is committed to the task of reinvention and thus to adopting community-centered supervision strategies that are responsive to the citizenry.
Abstract
As part of reinventing probation and parole, it is of vital importance that field staff understand the new scope or direction their agency is taking. They will be operating in a "place-based" mode rather than one that is "office-based." They will become "community-oriented" or "community-focused" problem-solvers who provide enhanced public safety and victim protection, and they will become an integral part of the communities and neighborhoods they serve. The reinvention paradigm will require that probation and parole officers deal with some very old issues in a new light. These issues include, but are not limited to, offender anonymity versus offender accountability, the use of assessments for determining structure and treatment, the determination of how much information should and can be shared with new partners (including the public), and the manner in which their information is shared. Agency administrators must reconsider the tools they provide their officers on the street and perhaps the hiring standards as well. The movement to reinvent probation and parole assumes professionals in the system will be empowered to act far more effectively and to exert far more constructive leverage over offenders by reinvesting in the community and by sharing knowledge and problem-solving expertise. 10 references