NCJ Number
30392
Date Published
1975
Length
124 pages
Annotation
DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION AND RESULTS OF A PROGRAM IN WHICH VOLUNTEERS ARE CAREFULLY SCREENED, SELECTED, AND THEN TRAINED TO ASSIST THE LOCAL PROBATION STAFF IN THE COUNSELING AND SUPERVISING OF PROBATIONERS.
Abstract
THE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, VOLUNTEER PROBATION COUNSELOR PROGRAM IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE CORRECTIONS PROCESS. PRECISE MATCHING OF VOLUNTEER AND PROBATIONER IS A HALLMARK OF THE LINCOLN PROGRAM. AFTER EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH VOLUNTEER AND PROBATIONER, THE TWO ARE MATCHED ON THE BASIS OF MUTUAL INTEREST AND THE PROBATIONER'S SPECIFIC PERSONAL NEEDS. THE VOLUNTEER SERVES AS FRIEND, ROLE MODEL, SUPERVISOR, OR COUNSELOR, DEPENDING UPON THE PROBATIONER'S NEEDS. THE RELATIONSHIP IS DESIGNED TO HELP THE PROBATIONER UNDERSTAND HIMSELF BETTER AND SEE THE WORLD MORE REALISTICALLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY. ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT HE WILL TURN TO MORE SERIOUS CRIMES. USING THIS APPROACH, THE LINCOLN PROGRAM HAS WORKED WITH HIGH-RISK MISDEMEANANT PROBATIONERS-THOSE WITH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THIS MANUAL DESCRIBES THE OPERATION AND RESULTS OF THE LINCOLN PROGRAM. PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS OF BOTH PROBATIONERS AND VOLUNTEERS IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE DATA REQUIRED TO MATCH THE TWO AND TO SELECT THE RELATIONSHIP CATEGORY IN WHICH THIS MATCH IS MADE. THE NATURE OF THE VOLUNTEER/ PROBATIONER RELATIONSHIP IS DISCUSSED AT LENGTH. FINDINGS OF A ONE-YEAR EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM ARE PRESENTED, AND A METHODOLOGY IS OFFERED FOR THE EVALUATION OF OTHER SIMILAR PROGRAMS. IN GENERAL, DRAMATIC REDUCTIONS IN RECIDIVISM AMONG THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM WERE OBSERVED IN CONTRAST TO A CONTROL GROUP PROCEEDING THROUGH REGULAR PROBATION PROGRAMMING THE LINCOLN VOLUNTEER PROBATION COUNSELOR PROGRAM IS ONE OF 17 PROGRAMS DESIGNATED 'EXEMPLARY' BY LEAA, (SNI ABSTRACT)