Program Goals/Program Theory
Research shows that a contributing factor of recidivism is the mindset or responsivity of probation or parole officers toward the individuals they supervise (Andrews and Bonta, 2010). Officers are regularly exposed to individuals on probation or parole, many of whom reoffend. As a result of frequent exposure, officers may begin to view all individuals on probation or parole as likely to reoffend. This process is known as “collective blame,” which occurs when members of an ingroup (i.e., probation and parole officers) blame all members of an outgroup (i.e., adults on probation or parole) for the acts of individual members of that group and therefore expect other outgroup members to commit similar acts (Okonofua et al., 2021). Negative perceptions about persons on probation or parole can hinder productive relationships between officers and those they supervise, which may result in increased rates of recidivism (Schaefer and Williams, 2018). Mindsets geared toward empathy may protect the relationship from psychological barriers and increase productive interactions (Okonofua et al., 2021).
The empathic supervision intervention was designed to reduce collective blame and render probation and parole officers more empathic toward adults on probation and parole, with the ultimate goal of reducing their violations and rates of recidivism.
Program Activities
The brief intervention involved a 30-minute exercise taken online by probation and parole officers in a computer laboratory setting at their workplace. Once in the lab, officers read targeted passages, then answered questions that strategically promoted empathy toward adults on probation or parole, valuing their perspectives, and maintaining quality relationships with them. Probation and parole officers were given an article that affirmed their critical role in ensuring adults on probation or parole met the conditions of their sentences.
To trigger their sense of purpose and induce feelings of empathy, survey questions were asked that centered on why they became a probation or parole officer and what parts of their work fulfilled them. Officers then read an article that emphasized the importance of creating mutually respectful relationships with adults on probation or parole, to make the officers more effective at meeting their needs. The article and activity aimed to encourage officers to recognize how feeling respected and heard could increase the motivation of adults on probation and parole to reintegrate back into the community.
To address overt and covert biases, officers were asked to read egregious cases in which 1) parole officers abused their power over those under their supervision and 2) adults on probation or parole broke the law. Following the first article, officers were asked how responsible all probation or parole officers were for the crime being depicted and how likely other officers were to commit the same offense. Following the second article, the officers were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 100 how responsible all adults on probation and parole were for the crime of the one person being described and how likely other adults on probation and parole were to commit that same or similar crime.
At the end of the online module, officers were reminded of the core components of the module, asked to write about similar examples (i.e., write about how the work of probation and parole officers can feel impersonal), and asked to write a letter to a new probation and parole officer describing their experiences upholding the values and employing the techniques highlighted in the module. The intervention took on a “Saying is Believing” format, which allowed probation and parole officers to form a new mindset by allowing them to take ownership over the outcome mindset.
