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DANGEROUS MEN - A SOCIOLOGY OF PAROLE

NCJ Number
49217
Author(s)
R D MCCLEARY
Date Published
1977
Length
221 pages
Annotation
DATA IS PRESENTED TO SHOW THAT PAROLE OUTCOMES ARE ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES THAT CAN BE EXPLAINED AND PREDICTED FROM A KNOWLEDGE OF THE ANTECEDENT STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES OF PAROLE BUREAUCRACY.
Abstract
LARGE METROPOLITAN PAROLE AGENCY OF A STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (DC) WAS SELECTED FOR THIS STUDY. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STUDY, LASTING APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS, CONSISTED LARGELY OF INTERVIEWING PAROLE OFFICERS (PO) SUPERVISORS, AND DC OFFICIALS IN THEIR OFFICES. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE DATA COLLECTION INVOLVED OBSERVATION OF THE POS IN THE FIELD FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. THE THIRD PHASE OF THE STUDY, LASTING ABOUT A YEAR, INVOLVED TESTING THE THEORY OF ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES DEVELOPED FROM THE FIRST TWO PHASES BY A FOLLOWUP OF SPECIFIC CASES. THE BUREAUCRATIC DYNAMIC OF THE PAROLE OPERATION IS DEFINED IN TERM OF EACH TEAM OF BRANCH OFFICES, AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, ACTING TO FURTHER ITS OWN INTERESTS; AS THE INTERESTS ARE MET A STATUS QUO IS FORMED, AND THE BUREAUCRACY FAVORS THOSE PAROLE OUTCOMES WHICH LEAVE THE STATUS QUO UNAFFECTED. IT IS ARGUED THAT PAROLEE TYPES ARE DEFINED BY POS IN TERMS OF THEIR PERCEIVED POTENTIAL FOR DISRUPTING THE BUREAUCRATIC STATUS QUO. CLIENT RECORDS ARE USED BY THE POS TO AVOID TROUBLE OR MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO IN THE BUREAUCRACY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT PAROLE OUTCOME IS PRIMARILY DETERMINED BOTH BY THE LABELING OF PAROLEES AND DEVELOPMENT OF RECORDS TO CONFIRM THE LABEL AND MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO IN THE BUREAUCRATIC OPERATIONS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE BUREAUCRATIC DYNAMIC IN BOTH THE BRANCH OFFICES AND THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION IS TO ARRIVE AT AN OPERATING PROCEDURE THAT MAINTAINS AN EASY WORKLOAD AND A VISIBLE LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS. THE SUCCESS OF INDIVIDUAL PAROLEES IS NOT SO IMPORTANT AS MAINTAINING OR ADVANCING TOWARD A COMFORTABLE NICHE IN THE BUREAUCRATIC OPERATION. EXAMPLES OF THIS ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMIC AND ITS EFFECTS ARE PROVIDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (RCB)

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