Assessing Readiness for Change of Juvenile Probation Policies and Practices: A Factor Analysis of the Probation Officer Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behavior (POABB) Scale

Authors

  • Jeanne McPhee Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco Author
  • Briana Huett Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University Author
  • Leah Brogan Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Author
  • Elizabeth McCurdy University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School/Worcester Recovery Center & Hospital Author
  • Amanda NeMoyer Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University Author
  • Rena Kreimer Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University Author
  • Lena DeYoung Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University Author
  • Naomi Goldstein Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52935/23.13316.05

Keywords:

Juvenile probation, organizational readiness, measurement, factor analysis, assessment

Abstract

As juvenile probation undergoes nationwide reform to better align with research on adolescent development, it is critical to understand probation officers’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about corresponding changes to supervisory practices within juvenile probation departments. The Probation Officer Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors (POABB) Scale was designed for use with juvenile probation officers (JPOs) undergoing training in a specific evidence-based supervision strategy (i.e., Graduated Response) to assess staff’s knowledge and beliefs about Graduated Response’s practices and intended supervisory behaviors. To provide foundational empirical support for the novel scale, the current study examined the factor structure of this self-report measure using POABB data from 351 juvenile probation staff across three mid-Atlantic states. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that a five-factor structure within the POABB provided the best fit and, overall, the POABB had good internal reliability (ɑ = 0.84). Importantly, the five-factor structure suggests a key difference between knowledge of Graduated Response components and attitudes toward using those components in everyday practice. Results suggest that use of the POABB can provide probation departments with information about specific attitudes and overall willingness to implement specific supervision practices as well as offer targeted areas for additional training to support developmentally appropriate probation transformations.

Author Biographies

  • Jeanne McPhee, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco

    Jeanne McPhee, Ph.D.

    Jeanne McPhee, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California San Francisco. Her research focuses on (1) promoting positive outcomes for at-risk and system-involved youth by implementing and evaluating evidence-based treatments, policies, and practices on the individual-, community-, and system-levels; and (2) advancing juvenile justice reform efforts by understanding and integrating practitioners’ and public impressions of the justice system into policy and practice. Dr. McPhee received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University in 2022 and completed her predoctoral internship at the UC Davis CAARE Diagnostic and Treatment Center in 2022.

  • Briana Huett, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University

    Briana Huett, Ph.D.

    Briana Huett, Ph.D., is the data manager for the Juvenile Justice Research & Reform (JJR&R) Lab housed within the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Drexel University. Her previous research has focused largely on understanding the factors that determine and affect individuals’ perceptions of social, social welfare, and social justice policy issues, with the goal of understanding how communication barriers surrounding these topics can be overcome to generate policy action. Dr. Huett completed her Ph.D. in Public Policy as a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow at the University of Arkansas while also completing an M.S. degree in Statistics and Analytics.

  • Leah Brogan, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Leah Brogan, Ph.D.

    Leah Brogan, Ph.D., is a Psychologist within the Violence Intervention Program at the Center for Violence Prevention (CVP) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Brogan is also an Associate Fellow at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention. She collaborates with CVP and CHOP colleagues on identifying markers for adolescent suicide, firearm risk, and related behavioral health concerns through a large, longitudinal data repository of adolescent patient electronic medical record data and behavioral health data captured via the Behavioral Health Screening-Emergency Department (BHS-ED) survey. Her research interests include the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based interventions with adolescents, particularly those in or at-risk of justice system involvement, to reduce engagement in health risk behaviors and violence.

  • Elizabeth McCurdy, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School/Worcester Recovery Center & Hospital

    Elizabeth McCurdy, Ph.D.

    Elizabeth McCurdy, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Adolescent Continuing Care Unit at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School/Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital in Worcester, MA. Her research interests include promoting empirically informed juvenile justice policy and practice reform, particularly within probation settings. Dr. McCurdy received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University in 2019 and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas in 2021.

  • Amanda NeMoyer, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University

    Amanda NeMoyer, J.D., Ph.D.

    Amanda NeMoyer, J.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Drexel University. In the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab, she serves in a leadership role for several federally funded and foundation-sponsored research projects. With training in both psychology and law, Dr. NeMoyer enjoys evaluating current juvenile justice practices, investigating the potential need for reform, and advocating for policy change. In particular, her research has focused on alternatives to detention and incarceration for justice-involved youth, including diversion and probation initiatives. Dr. NeMoyer earned a J.D. from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University. Dr. NeMoyer completed her clinical internship at Emory University School of Medicine/Grady Health System in Atlanta, GA and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Disparities Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, with support from Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Mental Health.

  • Rena Kreimer, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University

    Rena Kreimer, MSW

    Rena Kreimer, MSW, is the Deputy Director of the JJR&R Lab at Drexel University. Her professional and research interests include facilitating communication between diverse stakeholders and research partners; integrating empirical findings with juvenile justice policy and practice; and research to inform jurisdictions engaging in data-informed juvenile justice reform.

  • Lena DeYoung, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University

    Lena DeYoung, B.S.

    Lena DeYoung, B.S., is a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student in the JJR&R Lab in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Drexel University. Lena’s work in the JJR&R Lab involves partnering with states and counties to enhance their juvenile probation systems using a graduated response approach to juvenile case management. She also leads a project with legal and community organizations to implement and evaluate a city-wide initiative to expunge individuals’ criminal records with an eye toward creating a national best practice model. Lena graduated with a B.S. from Fordham University and coordinated research at Bradley Hospital/Brown University and McLean Hospital/Harvard University.

  • Naomi Goldstein, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University

    Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Ph.D.

    Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology, Co-Director of the JD/PhD Program in Law and Psychology, and Director of the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab at Drexel University. For more than 20 years, Dr. Goldstein has collaborated with community stakeholders to use social science research to improve juvenile justice policy and practice. She uses research to guide large-scale system change, leads implementation projects to promote high-quality dissemination of juvenile justice reforms, and evaluates the effects of new programs and policies on youth and communities. She also provides training and technical assistance to juvenile justice practitioners to help agencies develop and implement new policies and practices to improve outcomes for youth and communities.

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03/12/2026

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Vol. 37 No. 1 (2023): JAJJS 2023 Issue

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Assessing Readiness for Change of Juvenile Probation Policies and Practices: A Factor Analysis of the Probation Officer Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behavior (POABB) Scale. (2026). Journal of Applied Juvenile Justice Services, 37(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.52935/23.13316.05

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