Misunderstanding and Sensemaking among Juvenile Probation Officers Working with Evidence-Based Practices

ABSTRACT

Evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs) have been adopted in juvenile probation agencies nationwide to maximize the number of successful probation cases. However, various pragmatic studies have found that JPOs are not yielding the expected benefits when compared to efficacy studies. Using focus group and survey data, the current study sought to increase our understanding of the gap between pragmatic and efficacy studies in juvenile probation settings by examining JPOs’ perceptions and utilization of EBPs. The findings suggest that JPOs are misunderstanding how to use EBPs in daily practice, leaving them with negative perceptions of EBPs. Implications for improving JPO understanding and use of EBPs are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Juvenile probation officers
• evidence-based practices
• youth
• implementation
• juvenile delinquency

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to participating juvenile probation officers, to the participating Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon counties’ juvenile justice agencies, and to Jane Wilson and Larisa Lilles for assistance in implementing the study.

Data availability statement

Data is available from Dr. Ashli J. Sheidow (email: [email protected]) upon individual request and the approved data sharing agreement. This data is not publically available, so there is no URL. Interested parties must email Dr. Sheidow for access.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Some JPOs did not participate in baseline focus groups due to (1) dropping out of the study prior to the focus group, (2) only agreeing to participate in the survey portion of the project, or (3) they had a schedule conflict that prevented them from being there (e.g., doctor appointment, vacation).

2. Any names mentioned in the findings are pseudonyms. All identifying information was removed, so sex, race, ethnicity or other characteristics should not be interpreted from these names.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Grants [R01DA041434, R01DA043578, R24DA051950, and K23DA048161]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.