Before starting this paper be sure to read the article by Whetzel et al. (2011) on the styles of probation officers (e.g., law enforcement, social worker, balanced) and to watch the documentary Life on Parole (Arak, 2017).
Life on Parole (Arak, 2017) follows four Connecticut parolees in the year after their release from prison (if you are from Hartford county, you will see a number of familiar spots). In the film, we learn a little about the offenses that landed them in the criminal justice system, and we see the parole violations that send several of them back to prison. We see the parolee’s perspective on the parole process, and we also see the perspective and style of 3 of their parole officers (we see Jessica, Errol, and Vaughn’s parole officers interviewed). For one parolee (Rob), we never see his parole officer but we learn a lot about his issues, history, and self-destructive patterns.
Prepare paper in which you
1) Apply the different probation officer styles (e.g., law enforcement, social worker, balanced) described in Whetzel et al. (2011) to the parole officers of Jessica, Vaughn, and Errol. Which style best fits for each officer?
2) Discuss your impressions of what was effective and what wasn’t effective in their approach to their clients.
3) Discuss what kind of probation officer style would best help Rob, and what kinds of steps you think could have been helpful in creating a more positive outcome for him.
Arak’s (2017) documentary can be accessed here:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/life-on-parole/
