“Even as a Probation Officer,We’re all Very Much Aware That We’re Black First:” An Intersectional Examination of How Probation Officers Experience System Legitimacy

Abstract

This study focuses on how 27 frontline and supervisory probation officers (71% women, 67% Black) view the criminal legal system (CLS), utilizing intersectionality as an analytical framework. We present two themes: probation as ‘minor,’ and the CLS is a manifestation of societal racial oppression. Within each theme we detail sub-themes and highlight where we noted differences for probation officers across the intersections of race/gender/and institutional position. Findings indicate Black women, in particular, recognize the harm of the omnipresence of probation and exercise care with clients. Our findings puncture the illusion that workforce diversification alone is enough to achieve system legitimacy.

Keywords

intersectionality probation workforce diversification criminal legal system system legitimacy

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