An Examination of Probation Officer Tasks by Officer-Caseload Type

Prior research regarding probation officer roles and tasks has included statutory analyses, time studies, and computation of daily tasks in relation to risk level of offenders. However, there is limited research investigating specific proportions of probation officer tasks by officer caseload type. The current study builds on existing literature by providing an initial investigation into the daily tasks of adult probation officers of a medium-sized, tri-county probation department in a Southwestern state. For all officers, only 26% of tasks involved face-to-face contact with probationers. While regular caseload officers had the largest caseloads, specialized officers were more likely to supervise high-risk individuals. Court officers had the lowest proportion of face-to-face contact with probationers among the three groups. There were some significant differences in tasks observed between specialized and court officers and no statistically significant differences between regular officers and specialized officers. Recommendations for changes in probation practice are provided.

The experience of young people transitioning between youth offending services to probation services

This article explores the experience of transitioning from youth offending services to adult probation services upon turning age 18 years while incarcerated. The significant differences in the level of provision have been described as a ‘cliff-edge’ (Transition to Adulthood Alliance (2009). Drawing upon interviews with young people held in institutions, stakeholders, and survey data from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons, it is argued that the drop in support is exacerbated by poor communication between institutions and services which has harmful implications for young people during this crucial period of developmental maturity and beyond custody.

Control tasks of an adult probation officer executing a court judgments or judgments

This study aims to present in a condensed manner task performed by an adult probation officer in the Polish criminal policy system. Due to the nature and subject of this study, special emphasis has been placed on the probation officer’s control tasks, executing criminal judgments as part of his tasks and responsibilities at the stage of enforcement proceedings.

Revisiting Police–Adult Probation Partnerships in Texas: Troubling Signs

It has been almost 10 years since the Correctional Management Institute of Texas surveyed police chiefs in Texas in 2007, concluding that the overwhelming majority of police–probation partnerships in Texas were informal rather than formal. This study revisits police–adult probation partnerships in Texas using new state-wide data collected from both police and adult probation chiefs in 2016. This study found some troubling signs in the nature and extent of partnerships: The majority of police agencies in 2016 had no partnerships at all, but approximately 75 of probation agencies did, albeit mostly informal ones. Although both police and adult probation chiefs appeared to be open to future formal partnerships, they were only interested if initiated by another agency. The findings of this study highlight the importance of formalizing and institutionalizing partnerships for sustainability over the long term. The roles of regional professional organizations will be critical to expand partnerships.