The Attitudes and Decisions of Probation Officers

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of probation officers and determine how these attitudes are correlated with their decisions to recommend sentences of incarceration or probation for hypothetical defendants described in six case studies. The theoretical model for the prediction of behavioral intentions proposed by Fishbein is used to examine this relationship. The predictive power of each of the variables included in Fishbein's model is discussed, as well as the total amount of variance explained using multiple regression. The implications of these findings and suggestions for further study are discussed.