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Accountability in a Decentralized System: An Organizational Dilemma of the United States Probation System (From Community Corrections: A Community Field Approach, P 93-118, 1990, David E Duffee and Edmund F McGarrell, eds. -- See NCJ-121217)

NCJ Number
121221
Author(s)
T R Maher
Date Published
1990
Length
26 pages
Annotation
In examining the response of the decentralized Federal probation system to demands for accountability, this chapter provides insight into two key issues of probation administration -- centralization/decentralization and judicial versus executive control.
Abstract
The current decentralized and judicially controlled Federal probation system has the advantages of participation, access, and responsiveness. Decentralized systems are generally bound less by bureaucratic rigidity and are thus able to experiment with new methods and procedures. Decentralization also offers the potential for greater community support and more thorough familiarity with the community by line workers. The advantages of centralized executive control are the implementation of uniform policies and procedures, a mechanism for accountability across the system, and the potential for increased funding. Although the Federal probation system has resisted decentralization in the past, the system is now under strong pressure to demonstrate its utility. The trade-offs involved in adopting various structures must be examined and analyzed with survival as a fundamental concern. 11 notes, discussion questions.