The probation officer program, however, has managed to survive past Martinson's "Nothing Works" doctrine. Cullen (2002) suggests that even today, when rehabilitation programs have been met with skepticism by some, "probation officers continue to broker or deliver services when they can" (p.255). In my personal experiences with probation officers, each has seemed to have a genuine interest and care for the delinquents with whom they deal. Each has been able to switch between compassionate and strict attitudes when advising and counseling offenders, taking on a sort of parent relationship with the offender. Furthermore, each has given his or her best effort into encouraging the offender to make positive choices, though many of the officers have expressed in private that they are often frustrated by the offenders' inabilities to make good choices. Just as Andrews (1995) suggests that current trends in the psychology of criminal conduct point to treatments that are...
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