| Abstrakt: |
An ongoing debate within the field of criminal justice is whether criminal justice officials should be allowed or encouraged to exercise their personal discretion in dealing with an accused offender who violates the terms of release. In 2003, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) members were surveyed to discover variations in decision making among community corrections officers. Survey respondents, all of whom were either line level officers or middle managers, were presented scenarios and questions in which they were asked if they would initiate formal action against a violator. This paper discusses the results of the survey and examines background factors (such as gender, ethnicity, years of experience, geographic location and other factors) that contribute to the decision as to whether to initiate formal proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
