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Participatory Management - A Style for Managing Correctional Facilities

NCJ Number
69896
Journal
California Youth Authority Quarterly Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer/Fall 1980) Pages: 61-66
Author(s)
M L Greer
Date Published
1980
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A participative management system was developed at the California Youth Authority's O.H. Close School that provides for wards and staff to participate in the responsibility of managing living units.
Abstract
The basic assumption of the system (named 'An Integrative Correctional Management and Justice System: A Project in Participative Management in Youth Corrections') was that wards and staff would become better decisionmakers, would enhance their power to influence their environment, and would develop a sense of affiliation through participation in the control of their own destiny. The eight treatment teams were adminstered pretraining and posttraining questionnaires. Each team received 5 days of intense training including decisionmaking skills development, principles of problem solving, task group formation, principles of participative management, leadership development, team problem solving, and legal consultation and technical assistance regarding a viable ward grievance system. Individual team programs were trained on three occasions since 1973. All teams have shown overall satisfaction. Continued reemphasis of program goals and philosophy has been required to maintain the progam in a positive direction. The staff's initial fears about abdication and loss of control have not materialized. A smooth flow throughout the spectrum of decisionmaking has occurred. An appendix provides the study instrument.