NCJ Number
26580
Date Published
1974
Length
77 pages
Annotation
AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS PROJECT WHICH EMPLOYED TWO PARAPROFESSIONALS OF MEXICAN AMERICAN DESCENT TO IMPROVE PROBATION SERVICES TO THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, AND TO INCREASE STAFF AWARENESS OF THIS MINORITY'S NEEDS.
Abstract
AN ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT WAS TO EFFECT VOCATIONAL UPGRADING OF THE CASE AIDES TO FULL DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICERS WITHIN THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD OF PROJECT OPERATION. THE TWO CASE AIDE POSITIONS WERE CREATED IN RESPONSE TO THE LACK OF SUCCESS IN RECRUITING MEXICAN AMERICANS FULLY QUALIFIED FOR THE DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICER POSITION. PROBATIONER CHARACTERISTICS AT INTAKE AND CASE OUTCOME DATA WERE RECORDED ON SPECIAL INFORMATION CODE SHEETS, AND DATA WAS COMPARED FOR MEXICAN AMERICAN AND NON-MEXICAN AMERICAN PROBATIONERS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. OTHER EVALUATION ACTIVITIES CONSISTED OF A SURVEY OF THE YOLO COUNTY PROBATION SUPERVISORS AND YOLO COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES, AND A STATE-WIDE SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF MINORITY CASE AIDE PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA. THERE WAS NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE FOR DIFFERENCES IN OUTCOME BETWEEN CASE AIDE AND NON-CASE AIDE CLIENTS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE THAT JUVENILES PERFORMED SLIGHTLY BETTER WITH CASE AIDE HELP. A MAJORITY OF THE PROBATION OFFICERS INDICATED THAT THE CASE AIDES HAD HELPED THEM UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF MEXICAN AMERICAN PROBATIONERS. FINALLY, THE CASE AIDES WERE UPGRADED TO FULL DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICERS TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS INTO THE PROJECT. IT WAS FOUND THAT PARAPROFESSIONALS IN PROBATION WERE USED IN AT LEAST 16 OTHER CALIFORNIA COUNTIES.