Making Police-probation Partnerships Work

Murphy studies a police-probation partnership in Spokane, Washington, and offers new information regarding the reality of implementing police-probation partnerships for the officers involved and the criminal justice agencies that sponsor them. His work is a systematic evaluation of these concerns, with special attention given to the potential problems of mission creep, mission distortion, and organizational lag. The real and potential problem areas that may inhibit the full realization of the program's goals are discussed in depth. This information will assist agency administrators as well as future and current law enforcement and corrections officers to better handle the challenges associated with participating in effective police-probation partnerships.