Facilitating police-probation/parole partnerships: An examination of police chiefs’ and sheriffs’ perceptions
Abstract
Purpose
The current study examines the prevalence, perceived effectiveness, and potential antecedents (e.g. departmental culture) of law enforcement agencies in collaborating with probation and parole agencies. Specifically, the study reveals how the leaders (i.e. police chief, sheriff) in law enforcement view police-community corrections partnerships.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a state-wide survey of all sheriffs’ offices and a random sample of municipal police departments in Texas.
Findings
Findings indicated information sharing and specialized enforcement partnerships were the most common partnership types, partnerships were more common with adult and juvenile probation than with adult parole, and partnerships remain predominantly informal. Finally, police chiefs/sheriffs in the departments with a culture supportive of offender reentry were more likely to support and engage in partnerships with adult/juvenile probation and adult parole agencies.
Originality/value
Even without formal programs, it seems that police-probation/parole partnerships are, in one form or another, practically inevitable. The positive evaluation of law enforcement personnel leaves room for hope for expansions of such partnerships in the future.
Keywords
Citation
Kim, B., K. Matz, A., Gerber, J., Richard Beto, D. and Lambert, E. (2013), "Facilitating police-probation/parole partnerships: An examination of police chiefs’ and sheriffs’ perceptions", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 752-767. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2013-0036
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited