Examining the Personal and Perceived Organizational Characteristics Associated With Juvenile Probation Staff Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Satisfied employees are essential to an organization, as they are often the primary means for meeting organizational needs. Job satisfaction is particularly important among criminal justice agencies, specifically probation agencies that largely rely on personnel for the supervision and rehabilitation of individuals. Yet, the correlates of job satisfaction among juvenile probation staff are largely unknown. Following organizational climate theory, the current study utilizes baseline data from the Juvenile Justice–Translational Research on Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS) initiative, a project conducted in seven states with 36 participating juvenile probation agencies. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were utilized to examine the latent structure of organizational characteristics and potential mediating effects. Regression analyses were utilized to examine the direct relationship between job satisfaction and personal and organizational factors. Results highlight the importance of workplace factors and suggest efforts toward improving job satisfaction should focus on the improvement of organizational characteristics.

What Factors Contribute to Differential Perceptions Toward Evidence-Based Practices? An Examination of Officer Role Orientation, Job Satisfaction, Confidence, and Skill Proficiency

“…This study focused on the Staff Competency driver, because probation officers have direct contact with justice-involved persons, and thus, implementation science would suggest that the Staff Competency driver is achieved by: (a) providing initial training on EBPs, (b) selecting officers who are open to using EBPs, receiving constructive feedback on their use of EBPs, and incorporating the feedback into their supervision sessions with clients, and (c) the use of coaching to provide opportunities for individualized follow-up support after the initial training (e.g., Alexander, 2011; Waters et al, 2013). However, based on the strong relationship between job dissatisfaction and negative perceptions regarding EBPs found in this study and found in prior research (e.g., Krupa, 2021; Rhineberger-Dunn & Mack, 2020), after training officers and requesting that they use EBPs, it may be important to allocate resources to increase (or maintain) job satisfaction, rather than expending the majority of resources focusing on the officers’ adherence to using the EBPs (e.g., increasing skill proficiency).…”

“…Moreover, input in decision-making and safety trainings were related to job satisfaction, but not significantly related to job stress (Rhineberger-Dunn & Mack, 2020). Furthermore, Krupa (2021) examined the associations between personal and organizational characteristics and job satisfaction and found that organizational characteristics, such as communication, supervisory support, and organizational support, were associated with increased job satisfaction while personal characteristics, such as caseload size, experience, and tenure, were not significantly related to job satisfaction. Thus, the agency’s approach to ameliorating job satisfaction may need to focus more on staff retention.…”

“…Thus, the agency’s approach to ameliorating job satisfaction may need to focus more on staff retention. Although agency’s ability to increase officers’ satisfaction with compensation is a costly and, in many cases, practically impossible, there still could be value in improving officers’ enjoyment and meaningfulness of the work they do and organizational climate (e.g., Blasko et al, 2019) rather than focusing solely on personal characteristics, such as caseload size (Krupa, 2021).…”

“…This study focused on variables consistent with the organizational principles (i.e., setting, staffing, and management) set forth in the RNR model and CCP (Bonta & Andrews, 2017). To influence officers' perceptions that emerge regarding EBPs after participation in a training, agencies may need to attend to all levels of the organizational system, not just the individual line officer level perceptions, skill proficiency, and confidence using EBPs (see Krupa, 2021;Rhineberger-Dunn & Mack, 2020;Viglione & Blasko, 2018). For example, management staff may be equally integral to shaping officers' perceptions posttraining.…”

“…However, lack of job satisfaction is common among probation officers, with approximately half of probation officers in Simmons and colleagues’ (1997) sample reporting they would quit their job as an officer if they could find better employment. Concerningly, job dissatisfaction is related to a host of negative outcomes, such as staff turnover, which increases the caseload size for the remaining staff and caseload size was associated with decreases in job satisfaction (Krupa, 2021). Staff turnover results in monetary costs for the agency, expending resources to re-hire and re-train new staff (Matz et al, 2014; Rhineberger-Dunn & Mack, 2020).…”