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This thesis sought to investigate the relationship between the probationer-probation officer(PO) working alliance and the outcome of probation supervision, relapse into delinquent behavior. A quantitative prospective cohort study was carried out in the three probation organizations in the Netherlands. In addition, an in-depth qualitative study was conducted. The first part describes the development and validation of the Working Alliance of Mandated Clients Inventory (WAMCI). The WAMCI is an instrument that represents the diverse aspects of the relationship between mandated clients and POs yielding four scales: Trust, Bond, Goals-Restrictions and Reactance. The four factors seem to be a good reflection of the practice in the Netherlands and likely of more European countries. The first study examined how the quality of the working alliance, as scored by probationers, changed over the course of probation supervision. Subsequently, it was investigated which characteristics of probationers and POs were related to changes in the working alliance. Changing POs during supervision generally resulted in a declining pattern of Trust among probationers. The second study examined the effect of the working alliance on recidivism. Of the working alliance factors measured after nine months of supervision, Trust appeared to impact on recidivism after four years. More Trust meant less recidivism. This was true for both general recidivism and serious recidivism. In the third study the working alliance was broken down into its two constituent parts: the static part of the working alliance that can be regarded as a characteristic of pre-existing relationship skills; and the dynamic aspect of the working alliance that changes during the course of a relationship. This study showed that the dynamic aspect of the working alliance factor Trust had an effect on recidivism, when considering crime history and risk level. The static aspect of the working alliance was found to have an effect on serious recidivism for the factors Trust and Reactance. These results not only indicate how influential probationers’ pre-existing relational skills were but also how influential the change that probationers undergo during supervision was. The fourth study examined the development of the working alliance from the perspective of both POs and probationers at the start of probation supervision and after a three-month period. Overall, the study showed that clarity over goals and restrictions was initially the most salient issue for both parties, and that after a three-month period the working alliance evolved into a trusting relationship. Several incidents were identified, probationers identified more positive moments and less negative moments than their PO counterparts. If these types of incidents are managed by the probation officer, then they can ultimately serve to strengthen the relationship. The key message of the thesis is that the working alliance – in particular the Trust factor – plays an important role in probation supervision in terms of reducing the risk of recidivism of delinquent behavior. The Goals-Restrictions factor was not found to have an effect on recidivism, but acted as a prerequisite: in order to cooperate it is necessary to agree on the rules. The final conclusion is that for probationers, it is critical that trust can develop over the course of supervision. Only then does it become possible to achieve a true cooperative relationship. For POs, this implies that both clarity and building trust by being trustworthy and respectful is critically important from the onset of supervision. Over time, it becomes important to develop a deeper trusting relationship, which requires integrity, openness, and benevolence. |
