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  5. VA DOC Organizational Survey - Round 1
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Please read this brief informed consent statement:

RESEARCH PROCEDURES
The purpose of this research project is to understand how different evidence-based practices are used within community supervision processes and practices as well as to guide future models of implementing evidence based practices in these environments. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to respond to questions in a semi-structured interview on your perceptions about what should be the organizational priorities related to implementing evidence-based practices. Researchers will observe you at a meeting hosted by the department and ask you to participate in focus groups.

RISKS
The foreseeable risk or discomforts associated with your participation in this study are limited. In answering questions, you may provide information or opinions about your workplace environment that are critical of your agency or may be viewed unfavorably by administrators, your supervisors, or fellow employees, with the small risk that this information or opinions may be seen by others. Research staff will implement procedures to reduce these risks.

BENEFITS
There are no direct benefits to you as a participant other than to further research on evidence-based practices in community supervision. Interview responses will help researchers understand what are the greatest needs in community supervision practice so that those needs can be addressed through the use of evidence-based practices.

CONFIDENTIALITY
The data in this study will be confidential. No narrative accounts of observations and interviews will include information that can be used to identify you (such as names, locales, or identification number). We will assign you a unique identification code and maintain that list separately from all written accounts of what we have observed. Only the researchers will have access to the identification key. Once observations are completed, the list will be destroyed. We will use only pseudonyms in the field note accounts of observations and interviews.

PARTICIPATION
Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw from the study at any time and for any reason. If you decide not to participate or if you withdraw from the study, there is no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. There are no costs to you or any other party.

CONTACT
This research is being conducted by Dr. Faye Taxman, Department of Criminology, Law, & Society, at George Mason University. She may be reached at 703-993-8555 or [email protected] for questions or to report a research-related problem. You may contact the George Mason University Office of Research Subject Protections at 703-993-4121 or [email protected] if you have questions or comments regarding your rights as a participant in the research.

This research has been reviewed according to George Mason University procedures governing your participation in this research. The George Mason University Human Subjects Review Board has waived the requirement for a signature on this consent form.
 
 
1. Please indicate the extent to which you feel comfortable doing the following.
Very Uncomfortable Uncomfortable Neutral Comfortable Very Comfortable
a. Praise the offender for successful completion of a task or for achieving a goal.
b. Establish or review a behavioral contract for services/control.
c. Remind the offender that he/she should be more committed to change.
d. Let the offender know that they have a valid point.
e. Tell the offender that they have to tell their family and/or friends about their problems.
f. Ask questions that allow the offender to comment on their progress made.
g. Summarize what the offender said to allow him/her to hear their own ideas.
h. Repeat the exact words that the offender said to get feedback from him/her.

i. Tell the offender that he/she needs to change their behavior or they will be violated.
j. Reiterate to the offender an area that they should desire to change.
Very Uncomfortable Uncomfortable Neutral Comfortable Very Comfortable
Work at getting the offender to discuss change.
Explore how the offender can strengthen their commitment to change.
Indicate to the offender that what they are doing is not right.
Help the offender see the difference between where his/her life is and where the offender wants to be in the future.
Ask the offender to identify different ways that they could handle a difficult situation in the future.
Tell the offender to take your advice since you have handled many problems in the past.
Ask only specific questions to avoid getting into a lengthy discussion.
Remind the offender that he/she is under supervision and needs to be more careful in his/her decision.
 
 
2. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
a. We should show people who use drugs they will be punished severely if they don’t stop.

b. We should make sure criminals get effective treatment for addictions and other problems while they’re in prison/jail, or on supervision in the community.
c. We should keep criminals in prison/jail and off the streets.

d. We should use the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” principle.
e. We should deter future offenders by severely punishing criminals who are caught and convicted.
f. We should provide criminals with treatment to address addiction, mental health, or other problems.
g. We should make sure that the treatment provided is matched to the offender’s needs.
h. We should keep criminals in prison/jail to prevent them from committing new crimes.
i. We should provide more treatment, jobs, and educational programs in a correctional setting to address problems that often contribute to crime.
j. We should keep drug users in prison/jail and off the streets.

k. We should punish addicts to stop them from using drugs.

l. We should show people who use drugs they will be punished severely if they don’t stop.
 
 
3. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about your organization.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree
a. I talk up this organization to my friends as a great place to work.
b. Since joining this organization, my personal values and those of the agency have become more similar.
c. The reason I prefer this organization to others is because of what it stands for; that is, its values.
d. My attachment to this organization is primarily based on the similarity of my values and those represented by the office.
e. How hard I work for this organization is directly linked to how much I am rewarded.
f. In order for me to get rewarded around here, it is necessary to express the right attitude.
g. My private views about this organization are different from those I express publicly.
h. Unless I am rewarded for it in some way, I see no reason to expend extra effort on behalf of this organization.

i. What this organization stands for is important to me.
j. If the values of the organization were different, I would not be as attached to this organization.
k. I am proud to tell others that I am a part of this organization.
l. I feel a sense of “ownership” for this organization rather than just being an employee.
 
 
4. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about the condition in and functioning of your community corrections office.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree
a. We have few difficulties in adequately staffing our office.
b. We have funding available to introduce new programs and/or initiatives if they are needed.
c. We have had to cut or significantly reduce programs and/or services due to funding constraints.
d. We have enough staff to meet the needs of this office.
e. We have trouble retaining highly competent staff.
f. Our staff frequently say that they are overworked and/or don’t have enough time to get done what they need to do.
g. Our staff lacks access to the training and development programs they need.
h. Our staff integrates new knowledge and techniques into their work to improve the way in which services are provided.
i. Our staff stays current with new techniques that relate to their jobs.
j. The training and development programs for our staff are of very high quality.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree
Attending training and development programs is made a priority for our staff.
We would significantly expand/enhance certain programs and/or services if funding were available.
Our offices are designed to meet the specific needs of most of the important services and programs we run.
Our offices are well maintained and are kept fully functional.
We have the necessary physical space for the services and programs we run.
We have computers and information technology tools/resources to efficiently access offender records.
Our staff feels very comfortable using computers and information technology tools to do their jobs.
Our staff lacks the computer skills necessary to proficiently access offender records.
We regularly integrate new services, programs, and/or initiatives into our office operations.
Our programs, services, and/or initiatives are designed to address multiple offender needs.
We have a high level of coordination across units and/or departments when it comes to delivering services and programs to offenders.
We have significant challenges in generating the necessary political support for important priorities, new programs, and/or initiatives for offenders.
We have the support we need from communities for important priorities, new programs, and/or initiatives for offenders.
We have extensive collaborations/partnerships with external groups (e.g. outside service providers) that facilitate important priorities, new programs, and/or initiatives for offenders.
 
 
5. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about the conditions and functioning of your community corrections office.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree
a. Ideas and suggestions from employees get fair consideration by management.
b. Managers and staff periodically meet and talk about what is working well and what isn’t to improve our performance.
c. Learning new knowledge and skills and using them in your job is highly valued by supervisors and managers.
d. We systematically measure important outcomes for this office that assess our performance.
e. Staff feel comfortable promoting different ideas or suggestions, even if they conflict with established policy or practice.
f. We have well-defined performance outcomes and specific plans in place for how to achieve them.
g. The formal communication channels here work very well.
h. Opportunities are provided for staff to attend training or other developmental opportunities.
i. Innovative actions and initiatives undertaken by staff are highly valued.

j. The informal communication channels here work very well.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree
Employees are always kept well informed.
Information on new or best practices is made available to staff to use in their work.
Managers are open and willing to try new ideas or ways of doing things.
Employees always feel free to ask questions and express concerns in this facility.
There is a shared understanding of the changes needed to help our prison to achieve its long-term objectives.
There are discussions involving all of the staff about the vision of the office and ways to achieve it.
Staff generally feel comfortable discussing mistakes, errors, or problems with supervisors and managers.
Most staff here believe that they can have open discussions with supervisors and managers about work-related difficulties or problems.
Most staff are aware of and agree about where we should be in the future.
When mistakes or errors are made, managers tend to treat them as opportunities to learn rather than respond by using punishment.
 
 
6. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about efforts to make changes in your community corrections office.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree
a. I’ve pretty much given up trying to make suggestions for improvements around here.
b. Changes to the usual way of doing things at this office are more trouble than they are worth.
c. When we try to change things here they just seem to go from bad to worse.
d. Efforts to make improvements in this office usually fail.
e. It’s hard to be hopeful about the future because people have such bad attitudes.
 
 
7. To what extent do you employ each of the following procedures in referring and monitoring clients on your caseload to non-residential treatment or services?
Never Some of the time About half the time Most of the time Always
a. Schedule a specific date/time for the client’s initial appointment with service/program.
b. Discuss with the client what to expect at initial admission to program (e.g., paperwork needed, who client will meet with, how to behave, etc.).
c. Accompany client to admission/intake appointment.
d. Establish a schedule with the service provider to report the client’s progress and attendance in the program/service.
e. Talk or meet in a 3-way conversation with client and service provider.
f. Client returns and submits to me slip or other documentation of attending program/service.
 
 
8. To what extent do you use the following case management practices with clients on your caseload?
Never Some of the time About half the time Most of the time Always
a. Provide the client with a written plan that includes rules and conditions of supervision and addresses their criminogenic needs.

b. Review the written plan with the client.
c. Client signs a written copy of plan.
d. Graduated sanctions.
e. Graduated incentives.
 
 
 
9. Risk can be defined as the likelihood that an offender will engage in further criminal behavior.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
10. Risk can be defined as the likelihood that an offender will engage in further criminal behavior.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
11. Actuarial Risk assessment…
 
can be used to determine the degree to which an offender’s history predicts their likelihood of future offending.
 
is less accurate than intuition or gut reactions.
 
measures only dynamic factors, such as substance abuse.
 
 
 
12. Offenders who have a higher chance of re-offending, pose serious risk to public safety, and require the most restrictive supervision strategy are:
 
High Risk
 
Moderate Risk
 
Low Risk
 
 
 
13. Criminogenic Needs...
 
include historical factors such as age at first arrest.
 
tend to increase the likelihood that an offender will reoffend.
 
cannot change over time.
 
 
 
14. Criminogenic Needs that are not addressed through treatment or other programming tend to increase the chance that an offender will reoffend.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
15. Which of the following is NOT an interest that can motivate an offender to change?
 
Being respected by criminal peers
 
Being a good parent to children
 
Getting or keeping a job
 
Improving health
 
 
 
16. Which of the following is NOT a Destabilizer?
 
Drug abuse
 
Alcohol dependence
 
Stable housing
 
None of the above
 
 
 
17. Trust between the offender and the criminal justice staff is an important factor in developing motivation.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
18. Motivational Interviewing uses confrontation to help offenders recognize and understand the consequences of their crime cycle.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
19. Compliance with conditions of supervision is the same as Cooperation.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
20. The offender's risk and need assessment and contact information are the only components that should be included in a Case Plan.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
21. Triggers are the _______ that tend to lead an offender to reoffend.
 
People
 
Places
 
Things
 
All of the above
 
 
 
22. Gender-Responsive Case Planning creates an environment that is responsive to individuals’ needs and strengths.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
23. What is NOT true about Case Plans?
 
Only the offender should sign the case plan
 
The case plan should define consequences for the offender’s actions
 
The case plan should be a comprehensive strategy to manage risk
 
All of the above
 
 
 
24. The main purpose of the Problem Solving process is to provide offender with techniques so that they can Problem Solve for themselves.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
25. Which of the following is NOT a Step of Problem Solving?
 
Including the family and/or significant other in the process Assessing the positives and negatives of the offender’s behavior
 
Identifying different options and solutions
 
Developing an action plan
 
 
 
26. Crime Desistance is an immediate event.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
27. Crime Desistance focuses on those factors that result in an individual exiting crime.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
28. Desistance involves both reducing Need factors and building Strengths and Stabilizers.
 
True
 
False
 
 
 
29. An offender (Sam) seems to have no motivation to stay crime-free. What should be done?
 
Give up on Sam and wait for him to re-offend.
 
Tell Sam things will get worse for him if he doesn’t try harder.
 
Wait until Sam is older and has some motivation before trying to help.
 
Help get Sam involved in supportive environments that will provide positive structure and may get him thinking about change.
 
 
 
30. Please identify your job title:
   
 
 
 
* 31. Identify the District in which you are currently working:
 
 
 
32. Do you work in a special unit?
 
No
 
Yes
 
 
If yes, please specify:
   
 
 
 
33. How long have you worked for the department?
   
 
 
 
34. What is the highest academic degree you hold?
HS Diploma Associates Bachelors Masters GED Other  
 
 
 
35. Do you hold any professional credentials, certifications, or licenses?
 
No
 
Yes
 
 
If yes, please specify:
   
 
 
 
36. What is a typical caseload size?
   
 
 
 
37. Why did you decide to participate in this training?
   
 
 
 
38. What do you hope to learn from this training?
   
 
 
 
39. What are your primary job responsibilities (select all that apply)?
 
Conduct searches on offender's person
 
Assess appropriate services for offenders
 
Provide resources to help offenders find work
 
Conduct home visits
 
Conduct searches of the offender's home
 
Serve as a role model for good conduct
 
Encourage offenders to discuss challenges faced at work
 
Complete state mandated paperwork
 
Discipline offenders
 
Encourage offenders to get a job
 
Encourage offenders to discuss challenges faced at home
 
Other
 

 
 
40. How frequently do you typically speak to an offender about the following:
Not at all Occasionally (1-2 times a month) Once a week Several times a week Every day
a. Their attendance on a job
b. An argument with their work supervisor/co-workers
c. An argument with family member
d. Their employment plans (if seeking employment)
e. Wearing proper clothing to the probation office
f. Their education plans
g. Completing a task given by an officer

h. Their desire for any programming or services
i. How to improve future job interviews
 
 
 
41. Please give a description of an average day working in your position.
   
 
 
 
42. How would you describe yourself (select all that apply)?
 
White/Caucasian
 
Hispanic/Latino
 
American Indian/Alaska Native
 
Black/African-American
 
Asian/Pacific Islander
 
Other
 

 
 
 
43. What is your age?
   
 
 
 
44. What is your gender?
 
Male
 
Female
 
 
 
45. In the past year, indicate the types of training programs you have participated in.
   
 
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