Perceptions of Probation Officers Around Class and Racial Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System

The pervasiveness of disparities related to race and class is an important topic in the juvenile justice systems. The current research examines perceptions of juvenile probation officers around disparities related to race and class in the juvenile justice system. A number of theoretical and methodological approaches are discussed in the literature review. A conceptual framework of intersectionality is used as an analytic technique to examine the simultaneous interplay of race and class and its impact on disparities related to race and class in the juvenile justice system. The sample of juvenile probation officers has been drawn from a department of corrections for a county employer located in an urban community with the Midwestern United States. A total of 17 juvenile probation officers responded to the 24-item survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were generated for the collected data. Chi-square analyses were generated to examine the associations between the levels of agreeableness for variables. The findings yielded minimal contributions to the current research due to the low amount of participants. However, despite the low amount of participants, there were two significant associations between variables. The findings had implications for practice, policies, and research in the fields of social work and corrections. The limitations to this current research encourage new research designs capturing greater participation rates while the strengths provide groundwork for future research capturing data regarding disparities related to race and class in the juvenile justice system. Class and Racial Disparities ii Acknowledgements The past two years of graduate school have been some of the challenging times of my life, but I was fortunate to have several supportive individuals to help me overcome these challenging times. Firstly, I want to thank my supervisor from my first internship working in corrections. He taught me the value of professional use of self in a professional relationship with clients and colleagues. He also steered me in the direction to pursue a master’s degree in social work. I thank him for opening new opportunities to grow as a scholar, professional, and person. Secondly, I want to thank my supervisor from my clinical internship. I met her for the first time when my supervisor from my first internship set up an opportunity for me to network with my supervisor from my clinical internship. She discussed how a master’s degree in social work provides several opportunities for professionals to strive for social justice. During my clinical internship, my supervisor helped me discover my own vulnerabilities as a professional and how I can build upon my vulnerabilities to become a more effective professional in the fields of social work and corrections. I also want to thank my coworkers in the unit from my clinical internship, providing excellent consultation and unconditional support. I also want to thank my colleagues at my place of employment for providing unconditional support as I pursued my master’s degree in social work. They provided a healthy working environment where employees deliver meaningful services to their clients and families. Fourthly, I want to thank my clinical chair member who has guided me since my first days in the master of social work program. She fosters supportive learning environments for students and challenges students to think critically and reflectively of Class and Racial Disparities iii their work and how it impacts the field of social work. I also want to thank my committee members for their excellent consultation and unconditional support. Fifthly, I want to thank my friends for their unconditional love and support as I pursued a master’s degree in social work. Although I was busy balancing my education, internships, and job, my friends stood alongside me, encouraging me to pursue my dreams. Finally, I want to thank my family members for their unconditional love and support during the cheerful and stressful times for the past two years. They taught me how the values of hard work and dedication direct individuals to successful paths. I am fortunate to have family members who have guided me along a meaningful path. Lastly, I want to thank everyone who I have forgotten to mention in this section. Several individuals have positively impacted my experiences as a student, professional, and as a person while I have been attending graduate school. As I mentioned earlier in this selection, graduate school has accompanied some challenging times, but these challenging times provide individuals with the opportunities to think critically and reflectively about their experiences and how these experiences will assist them as they forge as professionals in the field of social work. Class and Racial Disparities iv Table of