NCJ Number
19860
Date Published
1975
Length
31 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY TO DETERMINE TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEERS AND PROBATIONERS AND TO COMPARE THE SUCCESS OF PROBATIONERS SUPERVISED BY VOLUNTEERS TO THAT OF THOSE SUPERVISED BY REGULAR STAFF.
Abstract
IN THIS STUDY THREE GROUPS OF SUBJECTS WERE STUDIED: 128 VOLUNTEERS, 271 VOLUNTEER-SUPERVISED PROBATIONERS, AND 300 RANDOMLY SELECTED PROBATION OFFICER-SUPERVISED CASES. SUCCESS WAS DEFINED FOR VOLUNTEERS AS COMPLETED SUPERVISION OF THE PROBATION TERM WITHOUT FURTHER CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST THE PROBATIONER AND FOR PROBATIONERS AS COMPLETION OF THE PROBATION TERM WITHOUT FURTHER CHARGES. ANALYSES OF VOLUNTEER CHARACTERISTICS REVEALED THAT NONE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS CONCERNING THE VOLUNTEERS HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PERSON SUPERVISED: SEX, AGE, BIRTHPLACE, RELIGION, OCCUPATION, MARITAL STATUS, DURATION OF MARRIAGE AND NUMBER OF CHILDREN (FOR MARRIED VOLUNTEERS), ANTICIPATED FUTURE CHANGES., SERVICE OR FRATERNAL GROUP AFFILIATION, FAMILY'S ATTITUDE, REASON FOR VOLUNTEERING, MONTHS OF SERVICE, AND AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VOLUNTEERS AND PROBATIONERS. UNEXPECTEDLY, HOWEVER, PREVIOUS VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE WAS HIGHLY AND NEGATIVELY RELATED TO SUCCESS, THE VOLUNTEERS WITH THE MOST PRIOR EXPERIENCE WERE THE LEAST SUCCESSFUL WITH PROBATIONERS. LENGTH OF SUPERVISION TIME WAS ALSO RELATED TO SUCCESS; THOSE WHO WERE SUPERVISED FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS WERE THE LEAST SUCCESSFUL. HOUSEWIVES WERE SHOWN TO BE THE OCCUPATIONAL GROUP MOST SUCCESSFUL AS VOLUNTEERS. THE YOUNGER GROUP OF VOLUNTEER-SUPERVISED PROBATIONERS WERE JUST AS SUCCESSFUL AS THE OLDER PROBATION OFFICER-SUPERVISED GROUP, DESPITE THE FACT THAT OLDER CASES GENERALLY DO BETTER. OTHER PROBATIONER CHARACTERISTICS WHICH AFFECTED SUCCESS WERE SEX (FEMALES MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN MALES) AND PRIOR PROBATION HISTORY (ANY HISTORY NEGATIVELY RELATED TO SUCCESS). (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)