NCJ Number
145656
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 441- 462
Date Published
1993
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study was designed to elaborate on the relationship between role attitudes and role performance of probation officers assigned to intensive supervision (ISP) programs in Ohio and Georgia.
Abstract
Three ISP programs were examined; one professed to be organizationally oriented toward control, whereas the other two claimed to be focused on treatment and assistance. Study respondents represented a nonrandom sample of about 25 percent of Georgia's ISP officers and 100 percent of Ohio's ISP officers. Probation agencies in the two States were apparently able to produce differences in task selections by probation officers which reflected the overall organizational philosophy. Authority attitudes were more clearly connected with preference for control approaches to casework than were assistance attitudes. An organizational philosophy of treatment and service seemed to be more instrumental in producing support tasks with clients than the probation officer's personal role preference. Preference for the authority role did not suppress the selection of support tasks with cases, nor did preference for assistance suppress the selection of control tasks with cases. In general, the problem of role conflict in supervision had an organizational dimension. Appendixes provide additional information on standard parole cases and supervision tasks. 40 references, 7 footnotes, and 4 tables