| Abstrakt: |
The traditional method of studying dispositional outcomes by pre-court and court level officials in the juvenile court system focus on legal and extra-legal variables. A number of studies have documented variations in case processing by police, probation officers, and judges in the juvenile court. Missing from the research is the influence that juvenile probation officers have on judicial decision making. This study sought to examine the relationship between individual characteristics of juvenile probation officers: age, gender, race, level of education, tenure, and jurisdiction, and their perceptions regarding their sentencing recommendations, roles, and probation practices. Chi-square tests of independence were used to understand the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Several significant interactions were found among the independent variables gender, level of education, and tenure. Suggestions for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
