Job Satisfaction among US Probation and Pretrial Services Officers in Buffalo, NY: The Role of Professional Quality of Life, Training, and Agency Culture Krystal Collado · Project Advisor: Dr. Laurie Buonanno Job Satisfaction among US Probation and Pretrial Services Officers in Buffalo, NY: The Role of Professional Quality of Life, Training, and Agency Culture Krystal Collado · Project Advisor: Dr. Laurie Buonanno There are a number of studies that focus on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of correctional personnel, but few have investigated these concepts with personnel of Federal correction agencies and none in Buffalo, NY. The review of literature begins with a history of community corrections, (specifically probation agencies) and, specifically, the organization and mission of the US Probation and Probation Services. In terms of mission, one of the main purposes of the probation service is to help rehabilitate offenders and help them create a better life for themselves. Many probationers have received alternative sentencing. When offenders do not rehabilitate, probation officers experience higher stress levels. Thus, one factor that contributes to job satisfaction is a positive working relationship between probation practitioner and probationer as well as adequate training for probation officers to carry out their professional duties. (See Lewis, 2014.) Another important factor is agency culture. Lee, Joo, & Johnson (2009) emphasize the importance of a participatory culture, and certainly the Federal Government’s New IQ (2015) has become an important instrument for measuring agency culture in the many federal agencies. The last part of the review focuses on a set of factors correlated with job satisfaction: burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Compassion, Burnout, and Secondary Trauma Stress are measured through the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version (See PROQOL.) There are many studies that focus on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of correctional personnel but few have investigated these concepts with personnel of federal correction agencies. It is important to investigate these concepts among US probation officers in Buffalo, NY because these individuals hold weighty public safety responsibility as well as responsibility for assisting in offender rehabilitation in the Western New York community. The intent of this study is to identify specific factors with respect to employee job satisfaction which can be used by the US Probation and Pretrial Services of Buffalo, NY to improve employee job satisfaction (if needed). Literature Review Purpose Statement Sample Selection Research Design This agency evaluation is a Nonexperimental case study n=1 method with an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The first phase is quantitative (survey). The second phase, if needed, will be qualitative (focus groups). The second phase will be necessary if no significant results are found in Phase 1. Data Collection & Instruments A web-based survey will be administered via Qualtrics. In addition to standard demographic questions, the questionnaire will include the battery of questions from US OPM’s New IQ (testing Hypothesis 1 – agency culture) and the ProQOL as well as additional questions inquiring into the respondent’s personal and professional characteristics (testing Hypotheses 2 & 3). Scores will be calculated for each of these battery of questions for each respondent and will be compared with the pre-determined ratings for each of these two established instruments. For example, the average Burnout Scale on the ProQOL is 50. Scores below 43 are reflective of positive feelings about one’s ability to be effective at work. H1: There is a significant relationship between the agency’s culture and job satisfaction among probation officers of US Probation and Pretrial Services in Buffalo, NY. H2: There is a significant relationship between the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) index and job satisfaction among probation officers of US Probation and Pretrial Services in Buffalo, NY. H3: There is a significant relationship between professional training and job satisfaction among probation officers of US Probation and Pretrial Services in Buffalo, NY. Hypotheses References The entire population of sworn federal probation officers employed in Buffalo, NY will be invited to take a web- administered questionnaire on the Qualtrics platform. Lee, W.-J., Joo, H.-J., & Johnson, W. W. (2009). The Effect of Participatory Management on Internal Stress, Overall Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intention among Federal Probation Officers. Federal Probation, 73(1), Lewis, S. (2014). Exploring positive working relationships in light of the aims of probation, using a collaborative approach. Probation Journal, 61(4), Professional Quality of Life Scale (PROQOL), late update 2015 at Sachs, Jamie (2001). Secondary Trauma and Job Burnout among Probation Officers. MSW Project, California State University, Sacramento at dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/ /317/Jamie %20Sachs%20-%20Final%20Thesis.doc?sequence=2 US Office of Personnel Management. (2015). Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey at Releases-Full-FEVS-Report-for-2015/