To access this work you must either be on the Smith College campus OR have valid Smith login credentials.

On Campus users: To access this work if you are on campus please Select the Download button.

Off Campus users: To access this work from off campus, please select the Off-Campus button and enter your Smith username and password when prompted.

Non-Smith users: You may request this item through Interlibrary Loan at your own library.

Publication Date

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Parole officers-California-Psychology, Public safety, Parole, Prison, Psychodynamic, Systems, Trauma

Abstract

Intended to enhance public safety by the secure incarceration (prison) or supportive community surveillance (parole) of persons convicted of committing crimes, correctional systems also provide psychological security to society, embodying a collective wish to be protected from risk. Parole agents navigate resultant tensions – between punishment and rehabilitation, between serving practical and symbolic functions – while being affected by the traumatogenic phenomenon that they are positioned to either ameliorate or aggravate. How they do so was the subject of this exploratory, qualitative study. A nonprobabilistic sample of 23 former California parole agents was attained. Interview data suggest that agents are tipped towards public safety regardless of their rehabilitative stances because of organizational liability, are dependent on "buy in" from parolees that they cannot necessarily induce, and are impacted by the traumatogenic phenomena to which they are exposed. Suggestions for further research and implications for social work practice are discussed.

Language

English

Comments

iii, 195 p. Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2012. Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-162)

Download

Smith Only:
Off Campus Download

Share

COinS