SAN DIEGO COUNTY (CA) - PROBATION DEPARTMENT WORK STANDARDS ANALYSIS IN DEPENDENCY INTAKE AND INVESTIGATIONS - REPORT, 1977

• NCJ Number: 59693
• Author(s): M V RAMIREZ; K DONOHUE; K PONS
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: San Diego Police Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A WORK STANDARDS ANALYSIS UNDERTAKEN TO GUIDE CASELOAD ASSIGNMENT PRACTICES IN THE JUVENILE DEPENDENCY/NEGLECT DIVISION OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIF., PROBATION DEPARTMENT IS REPORTED.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT BY COMBINING OFFICERS' REPORTS OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WITH A CASE-TRACKING PROCESS. THE TWO TYPES OF DATA WERE USED TO CALCULATE AVERAGE PROCESSING TIMES FOR EACH CASE TYPE. LEVELING--ADJUSTING AVERAGE TIMES TO AN OPTIMUM TIME PER TASK--WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY OBSERVING ACTUAL WORK AND EXCLUDING NONPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES FROM COMPUTED PROCESS TIMES. THE ANALYSIS PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIOS: (1) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PAPER REFERRALS (CASES NOT INVOLVING IMMEDIATE CONTACT WITH THE CLIENT), REFERRALS SHOULD BE ASSIGNED ON THE BASIS OF 13.55 EMERGENCY CASES PER OFFICER PER MONTH (A STAFFING ENTITLEMENT OF 1 OFFICER PER 11.6 REFERRALS ON AN ANNUAL AVERAGE BASIS); (2) A POINT SYSTEM FOR CREDITING OFFICERS WITH CASE ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED (1 POINT FOR EACH NONEMERGENCY CASE PLUS 2 POINTS FOR FILING A PETITION, 3 POINTS FOR EACH EMERGENCY CASE PLUS 4 POINTS FOR FILING); (3) STAFFING ENTITLEMENTS SHOULD BE BASED ON THE UNIT POINT REPORTING SYSTEM; (4) PAPER REFERRALS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE HANDLED BY OFFICERS SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO THAT TASK, WITH EACH OFFICER HANDLING 59 REFERRALS PER MONTH; (5) TRAINING PROGRAMS AND A PROCEDURES AND RESOURCE MANUAL SHOULD BE DEVELOPED; AND (6) A FULL-TIME CLERK SHOULD BE ASSIGNED TO THE DIVISION. DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)