Research for Practice 

JUNE 05 

Stress Among Probation and Parole Officers and 

What Can Be Done About It 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij 
This and other publications and products 

found at: 

of the National Institute of Justice can be 

National Institute of Justice 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij 

Office of Justice Programs 

Partnerships for Safer Communities 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

810 Seventh Street N.W. 

Washington, DC 20531 

Alberto R. Gonzales 

Attorney General 

Regina B. Schofield 

Assistant Attorney General 

Sarah V. Hart 

Director, National Institute of Justice 
JUNE 05 

This Research for Practice 

is based on “Addressing 

Probation and Parole Officer Stress,” by Peter Finn 

and Sarah Kuck, final 

report to the National 

Institute of Justice, 2003, 

available online at 

www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ 

nij/grants/207012.pdf. 

Stress Among Probation and Parole 

Officers and What Can Be Done About It 

Findings and conclusions of the research reported here are those of the 

authors and do not reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. 

Department of Justice. 

The study on which this summary is based was conducted by Abt 

Associates Inc., and sponsored by the National Institute of Justice under 

task order T–023, “Addressing Probation and Parole Officer Stress.” 

NCJ 205620 
RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE / JUNE 05 

ABOUT THIS REPORT 

Probation and parole officers, 

like their counterparts in law 

enforcement and corrections, 

can experience a great deal 

of job-related stress. Their 

stress also can affect supervisors, support staff, and 

family members. Moreover, 

levels of stress may have 

increased in recent years, 

due in part to greater violence by offenders on probation and parole. The National 

Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded a study that examined the 

effects of stress on community corrections officers and 

identified promising stress 

reduction programs. 

What did the 

researchers find? 

Officers and their agencies 

can gain major benefits from 

a stress reduction program, 

including cost savings, 

improved staff performance, 

and increased safety for staff 

and the public. Programs 

now underway nationwide 

show promise in preventing 

and treating stress. The major 

sources of stress for community corrections officers are 

high caseloads, excess 

paperwork, and deadline 

pressures. Combined, these 

factors make it difficult for 

many officers to find the time 

to properly supervise their 

caseloads. Officers cope by 

taking “mental health” days, 

requesting transfers, or retiring early. Physical exercise 

is the method of choice for 

coping with the stress. 

The programs studied vary 

greatly in services provided, 

who provides them, their 

structure, and other features. 

Some programs contract 

with outside providers, while 

others train peer supporters 

to help their coworkers. Programs may address critical 

incidents, offer counseling, 

provide training in relaxation 

exercises, or facilitate physical exercise. Some programs 

combine several of these 

approaches. 

Success can be measured in 

a number of ways. Burnout 

levels measured in one of the 

programs studied were lower 

after training; two other programs produced marked 

reductions in physical and 

psychological stress. The 

measure of success for one 

program was its full incorporation into the agency. 

ii 
STRESS AMONG PROBA TION AND PAROLE OFFICERS 

Peter Finn and Sarah Kuck 

Stress Among Probation and Parole 

Officers and What Can Be Done About It 

About the Authors 

Peter Finn is an Associate 

and Sarah Kuck is 

a Senior Analyst with 

Abt Associates Inc. 

Probation and parole officers 

stand at the hub of the criminal justice system. Theirs are 

the only professions that deal 

with offenders at each stage 

of the criminal justice system. As a result, they face, to 

some degree, every criminal 

justice practitioner problem. 

Their work exacts a toll in 

job-related stress.1 

Knowing the causes of stress 

and its adverse effects for 

officers, the agency, and public safety can be a first step 

in tackling the problem. This 

report reviews the causes 

and effects of stress among 

probation and parole officers 

and gives practical information about promising stress 

reduction programs. 

Stress and its causes 

Not much research has been 

conducted on work-related 

stress among community 

corrections officers. Results 

from this study (see “How 

the Research Was Conducted”), combined with the 

sparse evidence from previous research, indicate that 

many of them experience 

considerable job-related 

stress. Stress also affects 

supervisors, support staff, 

and family members. 

Dangerous jobs. Probation 

and parole work can be dangerous (see “The Work of 

Probation and Parole Officers”). Between 39 and 55 

percent of officers have been 

victims of work-related violence or threats, according to 

surveys conducted in four 

States. The types and levels 

of stress vary with the nature 

of the work and the kinds of 

offenders supervised. For 

example, parole officers who 

work in a facility or community setting may be concerned 

for their own safety. 

Many officers believe, with 

good reason, that their work 

has become even riskier. 

Offenders sentenced to probation and released on parole 

commit more serious crimes 

than in the past, and more 

offenders have serious drug 

abuse histories and show 

less hesitation in using violence.2 Yet almost all sources 

of stress cited by the officers 

interviewed for the study 

stem from the the agency 

1 
RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE / JUNE 05 

“My overall 

level of stress? 

It can vary, but 

there is always 

some—and, on 

some days, a 

whole lot.” 

—an officer3

H RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED 

The researchers reviewed published and unpublished materials on 

stress and related topics and talked with 45 officers, supervisors, 

agency administrators, counselors, trainers, and officers of the American Probation and Parole Association to identify the nature and scope 

the four other programs and conducted interviews with several people 

in each. 

The programs. The programs were identified by canvassing the 45 indiand Law Enforcement Family Services, and exploring and posting 

requests on electronic bulletin boards dedicated to probation and 

parole officers’ interests. 

structure and at least minimal operational data. The researchers gave 

preference to programs whose outcomes had been evaluated. 

Study limitations. Because neither the programs nor the officers and 

supervisors contacted were selected at random, they are not intended 

to be representative of all programs or of members of the two 

professions. 

Conversations and site interviews were confidential but not anonymous: 

The officers were aware that the researchers knew their names. This 

may have affected their openness in expressing their views. 

OW THE 

of the problem. Telephone interviews were held with people associated 

with five of the nine programs selected to study. The researchers visited 

viduals contacted for the study, obtaining information from Corrections 

To be selected, a program had to meet two criteria: have a formal 

stress factor for many officers. Even when management information systems 

have reduced paperwork, 

officers still may be dealing 

with unwieldy hardware and 

software. Deadlines, many of 

which are unexpected or cannot be controlled, are the 

third most common stress 

factor. 

These sources of stress typically combine to produce a 

itself, not the dangers they 

face on the job. 

The “big three” sources of 

stress. High caseloads are 

the major source of stress. 

It is no wonder that officers 

report heavy caseloads to be 

the most stressful aspect of 

their work—the average 

supervision caseload of a 

probation officer is very high: 

139. Paperwork follows as 

the next most significant 

2 
STRESS AMONG PROBA TION AND PAROLE OFFICERS 

frustrating result—not 

enough time to supervise 

caseloads properly. As a 

result, some officers prioritize 

their cases into offenders 

they supervise closely and 

those they partially, largely, 

or even completely ignore. 

Lesser causes. An astonishing 87 percent of probation 

officers, according to one 

survey, said they disliked 

their supervisor.4 Among the 

officers contacted for the current study who cited their 

supervisor as a major source 

of stress, most say the reason is failure to recognize a 

job well done. Some officers 

say they have few chances 

for advancement. Low 

salaries are a related stress 

factor; the median salary for 

probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in 

1999 was just over $36,000.5 

Some officers feel they are 

held accountable for offenders’ misconduct. Because 

they shoulder the responsibility when an offender threatens public safety, they feel 

they have fallen down on the 

job. Moreover, because community alternatives for 

offenders are decreasing in 

many jurisdictions, officers 

may have limited options for 

imposing sanctions or offering rehabilitation. 

How do officers cope? 

Probation and parole officers 

use a range of methods to 

cope. Many take extra sick 

leave simply to relieve the 

pressure. Some of their illnesses—lower back pain or 

headaches, for example— 

may be real but at the same 

time result from work-related 

stress. Some officers request 

transfers of position; others 

apply for early retirement. 

Some coping methods are 

more positive. When asked 

how they deal with stress in 

a positive way, more officers 

cited physical exercise than 

any other technique. Other 

methods include discussing 

cases with fellow officers, 

seeking support through religion, “venting,” and talking to 

a family member. 

Why create a stress 

reduction program? 

A program that helps prevent 

and relieve officer stress can 

save money, improve staff 

performance, and enhance 

the safety of officers and the 

public. It may also assist support staff, supervisors, and 

family members. 

Cost savings. Startup costs 

are a consideration, but a 

stress program can save 

“Yes, I take 

mental health 

days. I use them 

and I get in 

trouble a 

lot, but it’s a 

case of selfpreservation.” 

—an officer 

3 
RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE / JUNE 05 

THE WORK OF PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERSa 

Although responsibilities of probation and parole officers 

differ, much of their work is similar, especially in supervising offenders. During the past two decades, the community corrections profession has expanded its focus beyond 

offender supervision and treatment to encompass community and public safety concerns. 

Probation is a sentence involving a period of supervision 

in the community. Typically, probation officers supervise 

offenders during regular office contacts, visit them at 

home or work, and contact them in other ways within the 

community. Other duties may include investigating offenders’ backgrounds, writing presentence investigative 

reports, and recommending sentences. 

Parole is a period of conditional supervision after prison; 

that is, parolees may be returned to prison for violating the 

conditions of release. The judge, along with the parole 

agency or parole officer, stipulates these conditions. 

Parole officers also have regularly scheduled office visits 

with clients and contact them at home, work, and within 

the community. 

The latest figures show more than 60,000 probation officers and 11,000 parole officers in the United States.b 

Notes 

a. For more about this subject, see Abadinsky, H., Probation and Parole: 

Theory and Practice, 8th ed., Prentice Hall: Old Tappan, NJ, 1997. 

b. Camp, C., and G. Camp, The Corrections Yearbook 2000, Middletown, CT: 

Criminal Justice Institute, 1999, and The Corrections Yearbook 2001: Adult 

Systems, Middletown, CT: Criminal Justice Institute, 2001. 

money, or at least recoup 

some or all setup and operation costs. One benefit is 

reducing the costs of recruiting, screening, and training 

due to turnover, which is high 

among probation officers.6 

Another benefit may be fewer 

costly legal actions as a result 

of fewer employees filing 

stress-related legal claims. 

Improved staff performance. When officers take 

“mental health days,” other 

employees’ workloads 

increase. A stress program 

can decrease the frequency 

of calling in sick. It can also 

increase productivity by 

improving staff morale and 

reducing conflict between 

line staff and supervisors. 

Increased safety for staff 

and the public. When officers are distracted by a critical incident, sending them 

into the field can be dangerous. They may be unable to 

concentrate on safety or stay 

alert, and they may be less 

able to resolve confrontations 

peaceably. As a result, when 

a critical incident occurs, the 

agency should notify all 

employees and fully describe 

the outcome. This will help 

them share information on 

handling these incidents. 

Turnover also can compromise safety because rookies 

may have to replace seasoned professionals. A stress 

program can reduce turnover 

by intervening before employees become alienated 

and by helping disgruntled 

employees work out their 

dissatisfaction. 

4 
STRESS AMONG PROBA TION AND PAROLE OFFICERS 

Keys to success 

An administrator’s decision to 

create or expand a stress 

reduction program is just the 

beginning. There are also 

important planning and management considerations. 

Selecting talented and dedicated staff. The quality of 

the staff can make or break a 

program, especially because 

well-developed interpersonal 

skills are so essential. Administrators will need to decide, 

for example, whether to hire 

professional contractors or 

train in-house staff. The 

advantage of hiring outside 

professionals is that they 

generally do not need training. By contrast, peer supporters require extensive 

training, although a clear 

advantage is their familiarity 

with probation and parole 

concerns. 

“Selling” the program. A 

stress program must be promoted among all staff, but, 

first and foremost, agency 

administrators must demonstrate concern for employee 

welfare. Buy-in from middle 

managers and line supervisors also is essential, as they 

are in a position to decide 

whether to allow peer supporters time off. Because 

unions, too, can either 

obstruct or promote a stress 

program, they should be 

involved in planning from the 

outset. (A stress program is a 

major employee benefit.) 

Line staff should also be 

involved in planning the program. Participation in a stress 

program could count toward 

mandated training hours. 

Ensuring confidentiality. 

Communication between 

licensed mental health 

practitioners and clients is 

generally privileged, but this 

is usually never the case 

between peer supporters and 

employees. To maintain confidentiality, peer supporters 

should voluntarily follow the 

same rules as do licensed 

practitioners. Program administrators will want to 

consult an attorney about 

confidentiality. 

Assessing effectiveness. 

Without evaluation it is difficult to know whether a program needs improvement. 

Evaluation should be built 

into program design and planning. This allows calculating 

baseline measures (e.g., 

stress levels). In an outcome 

evaluation, which assesses a 

program’s effects, the most 

compelling evidence is 

reduced stress.7 

Providing adequate 

funding. New programs will 

“I have 108 

cases right 

now—I can’t 

supervise all of 

them by the 

book—there’s 

no time.” 

—an officer 

5 
RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE / JUNE 05 

Exhibit 1. Program costs 

Agency Annual budget 

Washington State Department of Corrections $558,000 per year; serves all Department of 

Corrections personnel. 

Southern California probation agencies Varies by department. Agencies pay $60–125 for each 

hour of onsite response to critical incidents. 

Harris County (Texas) Community Supervision $38,324, matched with NIJ grant; $34,000 in-kind 

and Corrections Department services ($100–200 per class if peer trainers are used). 

Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Juvenile Court $50,000 in State funds, matched with NIJ grant, to 

develop pilot training program. 

Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole $51,000 initial startup cost; about $22,000 the next 

year. 

California C–POST—State Juvenile Correctional 	 $215,000 for training and research (but can be 

Institutions	 $7,500–8,500 for half- and full-day sessions). 

Additional costs for employee training during overtime. 

Reduction in health risk factors is projected to save 

almost $700 per officer trained. 

Note: Costs vary with program duration, types of services provided, number of people served, and frequency of use, among 

other factors. 

have one-time startup costs. 

Expenses can be minimized 

through such means as 

securing in-kind contributions 

and recruiting university 

professors as evaluators. 

Some resources are free, and 

experienced practitioners are 

available to help in planning 

and evaluation.8 (Program 

costs for six of the nine programs examined by the study 

are given in exhibit 1.) 

Reducing organizational 

sources of stress. Because 

many officers identify their 

own agencies as a source of 

stress, probation and parole 

agency managers may want 

to coordinate with the stress 

reduction program, identify 

the specific agency-based 

sources of stress for their 

officers, and take steps to 

reduce those that are within 

their control (for example, 

involving line staff in some 

decisionmaking). 

Agency administrators can 

tailor programs to their 

needs. Programs can be 

conducted in-house or contractors can be hired. Some 

programs emphasize prevention and others address critical incidents. Some use peer 

supporters; others use 

licensed mental health 

6 
STRESS AMONG PROBA TION AND PAROLE OFFICERS 

professionals. Some offer 

counseling; still others 

provide training. Of the nine 

agencies studied, three 

require or strongly urge their 

staff to engage in regular 

physical exercise. In some 

cases, agencies combine 

approaches to get as many 

components of a full-service 

program as possible. This study presents a balanced view of the difficult work that community corrections professionals do and 

the human cost that may be 

manifested in stress for the 

line officer, supervisor, and 

administrator. The study’s 

final report provides insight 

into the stress their work 

entails, as well as case studies of approaches to preventing, reducing, and managing 

stress (see “Case Studies of 

Stress Reduction Programs”). 

Notes 

1. This report uses the dictionary definition of stress. Stress is a mentally 

or emotionally disruptive and upsetting condition occurring in response 

to adverse external influences, and a 

stimulus or circumstance causing 

such a condition. It is the body’s 

response to the perception of danger as well as to exposure to a wide variety of stress factors. 

2. Faulkner, Richard (Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute 

of Corrections), personal communication with authors; Brown, P.W., 

and M.J. Maggio, “The Evolution of 

Officer Safety Training in the Federal Probation and Pretrial Services 

System,” 

Federal Probation 61(4) 

(December 1997): 26–32. 

3. Quotations cited in this Research for Practice are taken from interviews conducted as part of the 

study. 

4. Simmons, C., J.K. Cochran, and W.R. Blount, “Effects of Job-Related 

Stress and Job Satisfaction on Probation Officers’ Inclinations to Quit,” 

American Journal of Criminal Justice 

21(2)(1997): 213–229. This figure is 

likely far higher than among U.S. 

employees in general, one-third of 

whom rate their boss as unfair—see 

Hudson Employment Report 

1(4)(April 2004): 2. 

5. This figure is comparable to firefighters’ median annual salary of 

$36,233. However, it is lower than 

the $42,270 median annual salary 

of police and sheriff’s patrol officers. 

Figures are from Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, Occupational Outlook 

Handbook (2000): http://bls.gov/oco/. 

6. In Florida, for example, the turnover rate in 1995 was about 30 

percent. 

7. See the questionnaire used in an

NIJ-sponsored survey of stress 

among police officers, in Finn, P., and 

S. Kuck, “Addressing Probation and Parole Officer Stress,” final report to 

the National Institute of Justice, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 

November 2003: appendix F. 

Available at www.ncjrs.org/ 

pdffiles1/ nij/grants/207012.pdf. 

8. These resources are presented in 

Finn, P., and S. Kuck, “Addressing Probation and Parole Officer Stress,” chapter 6. 

7 
RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE / JUNE 05 

Additional reading 

Developing a Law Enforcement Stress Program for 

Officers and Their Families, 

by Peter Finn and Julie Esselman Tomz, Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Justice, 

National Institute of Justice, 

1997, available at www. 

ncjrs.org/pdffiles/nij/163175. 

pdf. 

Addressing Correctional 

Officer Stress: Programs and 

Strategies, by Peter Finn, 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National 

Institute of Justice and 

Corrections Program Office, 

2000, available on the Web at 

www.ncjrs.org/pdffile1/ 

nij/183474.pdf. 

Appendixes in the study’s 

final report (see title page) 

include selected program 

materials such as questionnaires about stress, a critical 

incident response protocol, a 

crisis response intervention 

guide, stress reduction training materials, and a police 

officer survey. Access to 

these source materials is at 

www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/ 

grants/207012.pdf. 

8 
STRESS AMONG PROBA TION AND PAROLE OFFICERS 

The nine stress reduction programs studied 

vices, and other features. Highlights of each 

b 

learned through a survey that stress among 

community corrections officers and other 

employees had increased. As a result, the 

department expanded its critical incident stress 

management services by establishing five 

regional “Staff Resource Centers” for corrections officers and community corrections officers as well as all other employees. 

Staff at the centers believe that both mental 

and physical health are important to stress 

management. Counselors and occupational 

nurse consultants participate in critical incident 

responses, conduct stress management training, promote staff participation in wellness programs, and treat minor stress-related physical 

problems. 

Several probation agencies in Southern California contract with a private mental health organcognitive, reality-based therapy focusing on 

problems that cause stress and ways to resolve 

them. 

The team offers individual counseling, critical 

incident response services, inservice training, 

Probation Department, for example, opted for 

issues arose among line staff, including personnel crises that had resulted in the disciplining of 

some officers. 

Severe budget cuts were one reason the Harris 

County Community Supervision and Corrections 

Department developed a stress management 

training program for probation officers. The 

cuts resulted in the loss of 500 officers, causing 

stress even among personnel who were not 

directly affected. 

In the first of four training modules, participants 

learn about the nature of stress. Because 

stress is viewed as having both personal and 

organizational sources, a module was designed 

for each. A fourth module on communication is 

intended to help officers discuss stress with 

their families. 

One trainer called the participants “a tough, 

tough, paranoid audience.” Afterward, participants said they believed the sessions provided 

practical advice. More than half had been 

burnout was significantly reduced in the same 

returned but was still less than before training. 

Continued on page 10 

CASE S STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAMSa 

vary widely in goals, staffing, operations, serprogram are presented below. 

Comprehensive Services— 

Washington State Department of 

Corrections 

Washington’s Department of Corrections

Contracting for Services—Southern 

California Probation Agencies 

ization, The Counseling Team, for brief 

and peer-support training. The Fresno County 

peer-support training when stress-related 

“Stomp Out Stress” Among Probation 

Officers—Harris County (Texas) 

“burned out” before training. A month later, 

participants. Six months later, some burnout 

TUDIES OF 

9 
RESEARCH FOR PRACTICE / JUNE 05 

established in the Cuyahoga County Juvenile 

Court in anticipation of increased employee 

stress. The severity of juvenile offenses had 

increased, and organizational changes had created a climate of uncertainty because several 

top administrators had been fired. The Court 

also found job dissatisfaction and high levels of 

absenteeism, use of medical 

Each of the nine all-day sessions 

focused on a different topic. An 

introduction covered relaxation 

and deep breathing, physical and 

mental wellness, stress prevention and management, and 

healthy lifestyle choices. 

Although this session was the 

most “nontraditional,” participants said it was the most helpful. Other sessions covered communication skills and anger 

management, among other topics. 

The result was a significant drop in physical 

and psychological stress among the participants. Almost 90 percent reported favorable 

changes, and more than 80 percent said they 

were better able to cope with work-related 

stress. 

The shooting of a parole supervisor by an 

offender led the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole to establish a CIRT program. 

Advocate,c formed a planning committee 

whose protocol for a formal program was 

adopted in 1999.d Support staff are included in 

the program along with officers. 

The CIRT process consists of activating the 

team, intervening, and providing followup. Once 

activated, the team works with the team coordiment to handle the crisis. Of the 31 team 

after 3 years. Through 2002, the CIRT was activated nine times, primarily in 

response to shootings and 

suicides. 

The California Commission on Correctional Peace Officer Standards 

program when the State legislature asked that a training standard 

for stress reduction be developed for all correctional peace officers and parole agents in 

the Department of Corrections and the Califor­ e C–POST contracted with 

HeartMath, an educational, training, and 

research organization that has provided stress 

management training for such clients as Boeing 

HeartMath pilot-tested and evaluated its 2-day 

standard training with 91 juvenile peace officers and parole agents—all volunteers. They 

were assigned randomly to either an intervention group or a control group.f Emphasis was on 

physiological functioning, with testing before 

and after training for adrenal stress, heart rate, 

blood pressure, and blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Relaxation techniques were the 

CASE S STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAMSa (cont.) 

“Almost half. . . 

[of the participants] have a 

high overall 

cardiac risk.” 

—a trainer 

Continued on page 11 

“Comprehensive Wellness” for 

Juvenile Court Probation Officers— 

Cuyahoga County (Ohio) 

The “Comprehensive Wellness Program” was 

leave, and turnover. 

Critical Incident Response Team 

(CIRT)—Pennsylvania Board of 

Probation and Parole 

The board, along with the Office of the Victim 

nator, the victim advocate, and local managemembers recruited initially, 28 were still active 

“HeartMath”Training— 

California C–POST 

and Training (C–POST) created its 

nia Youth Authority. 

and Sony. 

TUDIES OF 

10 
STRESS AMONG PROBA TION AND PAROLE OFFICERS 

months after training, physiological variables 

and psychological and work-related measures 

improved in the intervention group. Levels of 

LDL (“bad” cholesterol), heart rate, and blood 

pressure fell only in the trained group. Fatigue 

from managers increased. 

The Boulder County Department of Probation 

has viewed stress reduction and wellness as a 

management priority since 2001. The most significant step taken to reduce stress and 

improve wellness was to encourage exercise 

on the job. In the health-conscious community 

walking and hiking trails make it easy to take 

outdoor breaks. Every employee is urged to 

walk, jog, cycle, or participate in any other 

Both the Montana Department of Corrections 

and the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services require annual fitness tests. In South Carolina, the goal was 

not to reduce officers’ stress, but to help ensure 

ers. The fitness standard, which applies to all 

probation and parole officers, offers the option 

failed. The policy drafted in Montana requires 

testing of most probation, parole, and correccers passed the pilot test conducted in 2002. 

Some found out for the first time that they might 

have hypertension. 

and S. Kuck, “Addressing Probation and Parole Officer 

Stress,” chapter 3. 

number of people per capita under community supervision. 

cate, because of its experience with crime victims, could be a 

major asset in planning and operating a critical incident 

response team. 

ing Probation and Parole Officer Stress,” appendix C. 

e. Budget constraints subsequently limited the program to the 

f. The control group was trained after the intervention group. 

CASE S STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAMSa (cont.) 

key means of stress reduction taught. Three 

and anger also decreased, while productivity, 

motivation, goal clarity, and perceived support 

Physical Exercise Central—Boulder 

(Colorado), Montana, and South 

Carolina 

of Boulder, the mild climate and proximity to 

physical activity during the work day. 

their safety, since all officers have arrest powof a 1.5-mile run or a 3-mile walk in 1 hour. Thus 

far, very few of the 200 tested officers have 

tional officers. Two-thirds of the 78 eligible offiNotes 

a. Contact information for each program is given in Finn, P., 

b. Washington ranks second nationwide (just behind Texas) in 

c. The Board recognized that the Office of the Victim Advod. The protocol is included in Finn, P., and S. Kuck, “AddressCalifornia Youth Authority only. 

TUDIES OF 

11 
The National Institute of Justice is the 

research, development, and evaluation 

agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

NIJ provides objective, independent, 

evidence-based knowledge and tools 

to enhance the administration 

of justice and public safety. 

NIJ is a component of the Office of Justice 

Programs, which also includes the Bureau 

of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice 

Statistics, the Office of Juvenile Justice 

and Delinquency Prevention, and the 

Office for Victims of Crime. 
JUNE 05

DOJ/NIJ *NCJ~205620* 

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice ProgramsNational Institute of Justice Washington, DC 20531 Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300 

PRESORTED STANDARD 

POSTAGE & FEES PAID 

PERMIT NO. G–91 

MAILING LABEL AREA (5” x 2”) 

DO NOT PRINT THIS AREA 

(INK NOR VARNISH)