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    E-ISSN: 2149-4533 ISSN: 1300-865X
    A Forensic Responsibility: The Examination of Decision-Making Strategies and Problem-Solving Skills of Probation Officers
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    Research Article
    VOLUME: 25 ISSUE: 3
    P: 206-223
    December 2020

    A Forensic Responsibility: The Examination of Decision-Making Strategies and Problem-Solving Skills of Probation Officers

    The Bulletin of Legal Medicine 2020;25(3):206-223
    DOI: 10.17986/blm.1337
    Mehmet Aykut Erk 1
    Sunay Fırat 2
    1. Çukurova Üniversitesi, Bağımlılık ve Adli Bilimler Enstitüsü, Adli Bilimler Anabilim Dalı Adana, Türkiye
    2. Çukurova Üniversitesi, Bağımlılık ve Adli Bilimler Enstitüsü, Adli Bilimler Anabilim Dalı, Adana, Türkiye
    No information available.
    No information available
    Received Date: 18.09.2019
    Accepted Date: 21.04.2020
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    ABSTRACT

    Objective:

    Since working with the offenders that are in the probation process requires a detailed assessment, probation personnel should be able to produce logical solutions for the problems that may occur in the process. Probation personnel play a key role in whether the offenders are convicted or not. The fact that their decisions can influence the future of the offenders explains why they have such a key role in the probation process. Therefore, probation personnel have an important responsibility to fulfill since their decision can affect the judicial process of the offenders.

    This study was conducted to assess decision making strategies and problem-solving skills of the probation personnel working at the Probation Directorate of Adana.

    Methods:

    In this study, 83 personnel working for the Department of Probation constituted the sample group of this study, while 87 personnel working for other public institutions constituted the comparison group. Sociodemographic Data Form, Decision Strategies Scale (DSS) and Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) were applied to the participants and the results were analyzed.

    Results:

    When the PSI total score and DSS sub-scale score averages of the sample group were compared to the comparison group, male probation personnel’s problem-solving skills total score and indecisiveness sub-scale point averages showed a statistically significant difference compared to the personnel from the comparison group. Similarly, a statistically significant difference was found between the married probation personnel and married comparison group personnel. When the logical decision making sub-scale score averages of the participants were analyzed, a statistically significant difference was found between the probation personnel with a job tenure of 1-5 years and the personnel from other public institutions (p<0,05).

    Discussion and Conclusion:

    It is worth noting that the probation personnel can have a serious impact on the lives of the offenders with their problem-solving and decision-making skills. The findings obtained in this study suggest that focusing on this situation will be beneficial in terms of providing a better service to convicts in the probation process and reducing the crime rates.

    Keywords: Probation Officer, Problem-Solving Skills, Decision-Making Strategies

    References

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