Probation officers must be able to show diversity awareness in how they interact with a variety of individuals. Whether they are investigating detainees, talking to service providers, or outlining information for courts to consider, probation officers contribute to multiple stages of the justice process and determine strategies to address issues of diversity prevalent in criminal justice administration.
Scenario
Several local judges want to make changes in the corrections system based on feedback from probation officers. They have reached out to your agency to recommend a policy or program that could be used to address an issue with diversity or disparity in the corrections system.
Assessment Deliverable
Using scholarly sources and current data, write a 700- to 1,050-Microsoft Word (No pdf, link or post in content box) proposal that summarizes a diversity issue or disparity and includes an annotated outline of at least 3 resources related to the issue, as if you were a probation officer determining strategies to address issues related to disparities with gender, race, ethnicity, or other cultural factors in the corrections system. A judge examining the resources outlined in your proposal should be able to follow your evidence-based explanation to learn about 2 strategies (one currently in place and one that you propose) to address a diversity issue or disparity within the corrections system.
Complete the Diversity Awareness Proposal Template to outline the following 6 components of your proposal, or format your proposal with a title and subtitles identifying each of these parts:
- Introduction: Summarize the selected diversity issue or disparity within the corrections system that is supported by evidence (such as demographic data).
- Research: Provide annotations for at least 3 scholarly resources related to the identified diversity issue or disparity that summarize their relevance and support for your proposal. Cite the sources according to APA guidelines.
- Current Strategy: Describe a strategy, such as a policy or program, currently in place to address the identified diversity or disparity issue. Determine whether this strategy is effective.
- New Strategy Recommendation: Propose a new strategy, such as a policy or program, to address the identified diversity or disparity issue. Alternatively, you may propose revisions to the current strategy you identified that would make that strategy more effective. Explain how your new strategy will reduce the diversity or disparity issue within the corrections system. Cite evidence to support your claims.
- Conclusion: Propose a plan of action for taking the next step to implement your recommended strategy.
Assessment Support (Important)
- Review the rubric for guidance on deliverable expectations.
- Review the Sample Annotated Bibliography in the APA Templates and Samples in the Center for Writing Excellence to see examples of annotations of listed references. While you will not develop a full bibliography for this assignment, the descriptions in the annotations in your outline of resources should look similar to these examples.
- The following may be helpful resources to review during your research process:
- CSBS – Criminal Justice and Security Resources
- Advancing Diversity in Law Enforcement from the EEOC
CJA/336 v2
Diversity Awareness Proposal Template
CJA/336 v2
Page 2 of 2
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Diversity Awareness Proposal Template
This template is provided for use with the Wk 5 Summative Assessment: Diversity Awareness Proposal. Complete each part of the proposal template with the information specified in the assessment instructions.
Proposal Title
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Research
< Annotation for resource 1 >
< Annotation for resource 2 >
< Annotation for resource 3 >
Part 3: Current Strategy
Part 4: New Strategy Recommendation
Part 5: Conclusion
Copyright 2022 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2022 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
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Addressing Racial Disparities in Probation
John Deere
University of Phoenix
CJA/336: Diversity in Criminal Justice
Professor John Hullar
February 11, 2025
2
Addressing Racial Disparities in Probation
Racial disparities continue to be a major dispute within the criminal justice system.
However, I intend to focus on community corrections, particularly probation. There is substantial
evidence demonstrating racial disparities. This proposal seeks to address the significant disparity
in racial outcomes within the probation system by proposing a new strategy that can either
augment or change existing policies or procedures to further aid in current and future
circumstances.
Research
Rigby, D., Hibi, D., Wygle, R., Lee, H., Casey, J., Gemmill, A., & Bruckner, T. (2024). State-
level changes in racial disparities in probation and parole rates in the United States, 2001-
2018. American Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae460
This article examines racial disparities in probation and parole supervision rates in the
United States from 2001 to 2018, finding persistent but decreasing gaps between Black
and White populations. While national data shows stability, state-level analysis reveals
declining Black-White gaps in probation rates, highlighting the importance of state-
specific policies and practices. It explains that by understanding the disparities in
community supervision rates at the state level, policymakers can formulate targeted
policies and interventions aimed at mitigating racial disparities.
Schwalbe, C. S. J., Edwards, K., Lea III, C. H., & Koetzle, D. (2024). Associations of Racial
Equity Training, Policies, and Practices With Routine Supervision Strategies in
Community Corrections. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 51(12), 1918–1936.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241276517
3
This document is a study examining the associations between racial equity training,
policies, and practices with routine supervision strategies in community corrections. It
indicates that Black and Latin Americans are disproportionately represented in the
community corrections population, experiencing significantly higher rates of supervision
and rearrests. This document describes that racial equity policies can cause a decrease in
accountability-focused case management and a shift towards a more treatment-oriented
approach. It emphasizes the importance of addressing structural racism and implementing
race-conscious strategies to improve outcomes for people of all races involved in the
legal system.
Russo, J., Peterson, S., Vermeer, M. J., Woods, D., & Jackson, B. A. (2023). Reducing Racial
and Ethnic Disparities in Technical Violations of Probation Or Parole Supervision.
RAND.
This is a comprehensive report on mitigating racial disparities in technical violations of
probation or parole supervision within the United States criminal justice system. It
highlights the importance of systemic transformations, enhanced data collection
practices, and targeted intervention strategies. It stresses the significance of developing
collaborative relationships and the detrimental impact of unequal resource distribution
can offset compliance rates.
Current Strategy
Within the Probation department, each officer is mandated to complete a predetermined
number of continued education training hours, regardless of the length of their employment. New
probation officers are required to complete 40 hours of training, while all other probation officers
are required to complete 20 hours. This training concentrates on preparing officers with the
4
necessary skills and knowledge to effectively supervise offenders and ensure public safety. Some
of these include Bridging the Diversity Gap and Ethics in Community Corrections. While I
concur with the strategy to address disparities, I believe the current approaches to addressing
racial disparities are insufficient, and probation officers may not fully comprehend the magnitude
of these disparities. Therefore, it is imperative to enhance the curriculum to provide them with
comprehensive knowledge and understanding of racial issues. (Illinois Probation, 2024)
New Strategy Recommendation
I propose that probation officers, both those currently employed and those newly hired,
receive a mandatory comprehensive curriculum that incorporates interactive training sessions,
real case studies, and factual scenarios. Real-life scenarios will prompt probation officers to
consider potential situations they may encounter. With the introduction of new training classes,
probation officers will gain the ability to identify and address racial disparities effectively. This
strategy presents a comprehensive approach to effectively addressing past, present, and future
challenges, providing practical tips and techniques to overcome obstacles and achieve optimal
solutions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I recommend implementing this strategy to further address and eliminate
racial disparities by developing a curriculum that teaches about diversity in the criminal justice
system. All participants of this program should be able to identify areas that need to be addressed
for training enhancement. This program will incorporate mandatory in-person seminars, online
segments, and facilitated discussions. This will help to provide additional support and guidance
when individuals encounter difficulties or have inquiries.
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References
Illinois Probation. (2024, November 7). Retrieved from COPE Approved Relias Trainings:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1psHLrH4u3SbhLiBEzEOpKRrw3uaDIc4J/view
Rigby, D., Hibi, D., Wygle, R., Lee, H., Casey, J., Gemmill, A., & Bruckner, T. (2024). State
level changes in racial disparities in probation and parole rates in the United States, 2001-
2018. American Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae460
Russo, J., Peterson, S., Vermeer, M. J., Woods, D., & Jackson, B. A. (2023). Reducing Racial
and Ethnic Disparities in Technical Violations of Probation Or Parole Supervision.
RAND.
Schwalbe, C. S. J., Edwards, K., Lea III, C. H., & Koetzle, D. (2024). Associations of Racial
Equity Training, Policies, and Practices With Routine Supervision Strategies in
Community Corrections. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 51(12), 1918–1936.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241276517
,
Addressing Racial Disparities in Probation
John Deere
University of Phoenix CJA/336: Diversity in Criminal Justice
Professor John Hullar February 11, 2025
( 1 )
Addressing Racial Disparities in Probation
Research
Current Strategy
New Strategy Recommendation
Conclusion
References
Walker, S., Spohn, C., & DeLone, M. (2018). The Color of Justice (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.