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Managing the Interorganizational Environment in Corrections

NCJ Number
76992
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 44 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1980) Pages: 16-19
Author(s)
R I Weiner
Date Published
1980
Length
4 pages
Annotation
New demands upon correctional administrators for handling their external environment in the decade of the 1980's are discussed, and managerial strategies to meet these demands are presented.
Abstract
The scarcity of resources in the coming decade will require a shift in managerial expertise away from a focus on internal personnel and programs towards an effective and creative strategy for obtaining public and political support. Unfortunately, managerial knowledge and training in the field of corrections has not increased sufficiently to prepare administrators for handling such demands. A recent study of one city's correctional system and its relationship with its network of community resources showed that interagency cooperation was the exception rather than the norm. In addition, community service agencies complained that correctional personnel failed to adequately screen offenders concerning their motivation to accept services and follow through with them. These and other problems could be avoided if correctional managers were to adopt an effective strategy. They should map out the interorganizational network in their communities by identifying organizations that may help or hinder efforts to obtain resources. Furthermore, they should train a unit of the correctional staff to assume specialized boundary spanning roles in the community; establish formal written agreements with the various resource providers regarding referral procedures; reorganize internally to conduct a more adequate diagnostic assessment of their offender populations; and avoid sending motivated clients to community agencies offering poor quality services. Finally, they should develop effective relationships with key political units and with each other for gaining support. Footnotes with references are included.