Question #1

Define the two primary functions of probation and how each is carried out. Next,
discuss the conflict that arises from these competing functions. How have
organizations dealt with the conflict produced by the contradictory goals?

Probation officers have traditionally performed two major functions: investigation

and supervision.

** In investigating clients and preparing PSIs, probation officers work primary

with other huan services professionals-teachers, officials, psychologists, and so
forth. They also work with judge to provide the kind of information that will
enable tthe judge to impose the best sentence based on the facts of the case. The
presentence investigation serves mainly to help the judge select an appropriate
sentence. It also help with the eventual classification of the offender regarding
probation, supervision, treatment planning, possible incarceration, and parole.
Apart from it many other uses the PSI plays its most important part in the
sentencing process. This is especially true because of judicial discretion.
Individual judges, even in the same court system, may weigh factors in a case
differently. The PSI must therefore be comprehensive enough to provide necessary
information to judges with varying sentencing perspectives. The "victim impact
statement requires probation officers to interview the victim and then present, in
the victim's own words, the damage caused by the crime. Adding these statements
the PSI would let the judge better appraise the seriousness of the crime and choose
a sentence that best served both offender and victim. However, studies have shown
that the addition of victim impact statements to PSIs has little effect on
sentencing.

** Supervision's begins once an offender is sentenced to probation, and it involves

three steps:
1. Establishing a relation with the offender
2. Setting supervision goals to help the offender comply with conditions
established by the court,
3. Deciding how to terminate probation on the basis of the offender's response to
supervision.
In contrast to investigation, supervision is filled with uncertainty and the
possibility of error. With no standard solutions to the problems that most
probationers face, many of whom are troubled and hard to manage; probation officers
may find little sense of accomplishment. Their supervisory work consists of a
series of tasks loosely connected to possible rehabilitation.

With nearly 60 percent of adults under correctional supervision, the most

frequently applied criminal sanction is probation; a sentence that an offender
serves in the community under supervision (Cole, Smith, 2008, p. 267). The two
primary functions probation officers play in the process is that of the
investigation and supervision of the offender. The purpose of the investigation
process is to produce a presentence investigation, also known as a presentence
report. Here the probation officer investigates the convicted offender's
background, criminal record, job status and mental condition (Cole, Smith, 2008, p.
277). In doing so, the probation officer typically begins with an interview of the
offender to obtain basic background information, then shift his attention to the
aid of other human service professionals such as teachers, officials, and
psychologists. The probation officers then interview the victim, in which he
records what is known as the victim impact statment, and present, in the victim's
own words the damage of the emotional and financial cost of the crime for him/her.
Apart from the offenders background information, the presentence
investigation/report helps with the eventual classification of the offender
regarding probation supervision, treatment planning, risk assessment, possibly
incarceration, and parole. Apart from its use of the presentence report to help
classify the offender, the report plays its most important role in the sentencing
process where it serves mainly to hleps the judge select an appropriate sentence
for the offender that is in the interest of both the offender and society (Clear,
Cole, Petrosino, Reisig, 2015, p.117. The presentence report is one means by which
judges ease the strain of decision making, in that the report let judges shift
partial responsibility to the probation department. Because a substantial number
of sentencing alternatives are open to judges, they often relie on the report for
guidance (Cole, Smith, 2008, p. 278). Therefore, the presentence report must be
comprehensive enough to provide necessary information to judges with varying
sentencing perspectives.

The probation officer faces role conflict in virtually every aspect of the job.
Most of this conflict originate

Question #2
Discuss the events that lead to the crime control model. Explain how community
corrections and evidence-based corrections fit into this model. Provide an example
and explanation of at leaset one form of community corrections used in your
community.

Question #3
Explain the events that gave rise to pretrial diversion. Discuss at least three
main reasons advanced in support of pretrial diversion. What do critics counter?
Discuss the successes and failure associated with this correctional practice.

Define the two primary functions of probation and how each is carried out. Next,
discuss the conflict that arises from these competing functions. How have
organizations dealt with the conflict produced by the contradictory goals?

Two primary functions of probation are: one, investigation and two, supervision.
Investigation deals largely with what is known as a presentence investigation. The
goal here is to produce a report by and through which judges use to make their
decision in the sentencing stages. The investigation is conducted by the probation
officers after which an individual has been convicted of a felony in federal court.
The probation officer begins the investigation process by interviewing the offender
to obtain basic background information. He then, investigate the life history of
the offender and record all prior criminal record, education, job status, mental
condition and other relevant information. Although the presentence report serves
primarily to help the judge select an appropriate sentence, it also assist in the
classification of probationers, prisoner, and parolees for treatment planning and
risk assessment. Though studies have shown its little effect on sentencing, the
victim impact statement is included in the report to help provide the detailed and
described the emotional cost and financial losses on the victims' behalf. In
recording information into the report, probation officer take into account the
comprehensiveness of the report and its accuracy in providing the facts of the
case. The supervision process begins once an offender is sentenced to probation.
The supervision process involves three important steps: the first involves
establishing a relation with the offender, the second involves setting supervision
goals to help the offender comply with conditions established by the court, and the
third, in deciding how to terminate probation on the basis of the offender's
response to supervision. The conflict arising from these competing functions by
which probation officers faced is the combination of the two responsibilities,
namely to enforce the law, while at the same time, to help the offender straighten
out their lives. In addressing the conflict produced by the contradictory goals,
bureaucratic organization imposes both formal and informal constraints. Formal
constraints are the legal condition of which includes standard, punitive, and
treatment conditions. Informal constraints is best understood through the complex
interactions between the probation officer and the offender.

The most frequently applied criminal sanction is probation, a sentence that an

offender serves in the community under supervision. Under probation, the two
primary functions of probation officers are, one, investigation and two,
supervision. Investigation involves the preparation of a presentence investigation
(presentence report), which serves maily to help the judge select an appropriate
sentence. Although the presentence investigation/report serves primarily to help
the judge select the sentence, it also assist in the classification of
probationers, prisoner, and parolees for treatment planning and risk assessment.
The presentence investigation typically begins with an interview of the offender to
obtain basic background information. In addition to the offender's background
information, the probation officer investigates his/her criminal record, job
status, and mental condition to suggest a sentence that is in the interests of both
the offender and society. In investigating clients and preparing the presentence
investigation, probation officers work primarily with other human service
professionals such as teachers, officials and psychologists. They also work with
the judge to provide the kind of information that will enable the judge to impose
the best sentence base on the facts of the case. Included in the presentence
report is the victim impact statement which describes the cost of the crime for the
victim; which includes both emotional and financial losses. In the presentence
report, what the probation officer has recorded may carry extra weight because
presumably it is an unbiased evaluation of the offender based on thorough research
by someone who understands the usefulness of probation and is familiar with
community resources. These considerations may explain why judges so often follow
the recommendation in the presentence report. The presentence report is one means
by which judges ease the strain of decision making. The report let judges shift
partial responsibility to the probation department.