Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Exploration Of Correctional Counselor Workloads In A Midwestern State, Adam K. Matz, Nathan C. Lowe

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Time studies have been conducted with a variety of occupations. However, no known research has examined the workload of correctional counselors. The Iowa Department of Corrections, in partnership with the American Probation and Parole Association, performed the first known workload evaluation of this population. Over a hundred correctional counselors participated in a time study informed by a task analysis conducted with a representative advisory committee. The most common activities concerned inmate requests, classification, assessment, release planning, treatment group work, and administrative tasks. Most concerning, respondents indicated anywhere from 20-to-50% of the activities engaged in were unsatisfactorily completed.