COPPS 2019 Annual Meeting

1. Consulting with Correctional and Law Enforcement Associations:The Value and Use of Applied ResearchRobert DelprinoSUNY Buffalo State College COPPS 2019 Annual Meeting

2. Learning Outcomes Recognize the challenges of working with highly skilled professionals from other disciplines who are trained to look at human behavior and outcomes in different ways. How to apply organizational development techniques, such as the nominal group technique, to conduct work with large agencies and the value of such a technique with this population. Understand the value of applied research in addressing officer and family members’ concerns and presenting the result of such work in formats that are understandable and usable to the stakeholders involved.

3. Challenges Trained to look at human behavior in different ways - Psychologists- conclusions show reliability and possess replicability, empiricism. Lawyers –  Stare Decisis - "Let the decision stand." May be more willing to rely on intuition. May disregard the research. 3

4. Tensions Between Law and Psychology 1. Psychology – emphasis on innovation and counter-intuitive thinking Law - stare decisis (let the decision stand) model and conservative stance resists innovation 2. Psychology – empirical observation Law - authoritarian epistemology based on hierarchy 3. Psychology - experimental Law - adversarial process 4. Psychology descriptive Law - prescriptive discourse 5. Psychology - focus on results of a number of studies Law - focus on single case 6. Psychology - probabilistic and tentative conclusions Law - emphasis on certainty 7. Psychology - academic, abstract orientation Law - pragmatic applied orientation 8. Psychology - proactive orientation Law - reactive orientation Haney, C. (1980). Psychology and legal change: On the limits of a factual jurisprudence. Law and Human Behavior, 4(3), 147-199. Nagel. T. W. (1983, October). Tensions between law and psychology: Fact, myth, or ideology? Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological-Law Society, Chicago, IL.. Writhtsman, L.. (2001) Forensic psychology. Wadsworth Thomson Learning Belmont CA 4

5. Possible Legal System’s Criticism of Psychology Lack of ecological validity of Psychology research. Will lab results translate to real world application 476 U.S. 162 Lockhart v. McCree (No. 84-1865) Argued: January 13, 1986; Decided: May 5, 1986 Death qualified jurors are conviction prone APA amicus brief Rehnquist criticisms included Studies used randomly selected individuals instead of real jurors Only 6 demonstrated conviction proneness, additional 8 that collaborated conclusions considered irrelevant because they assessed jurors’ attitudes rather than verdicts. 5

6. Court’s Opinion as Summarized by APA https://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/amicus/lockhart William Rehnquist The Court stated that even if the social science evidence was methodologically valid and adequate to establish that death qualification produces more conviction-prone juries, nonetheless, the Constitution does not prohibit the states from using death-qualified juries.

7. Roles Psychologist Can Play Saks, 1992, suggestion as how to relate field’s knowledge to a case • Conduit-Educator: • Philosopher-ruler/Advocate: • Hired Gun: APA’s ethical guidelines. Sakes, M. J. (1990). Expert witness, nonexpert witnesses, and nonwitness experts. Law and Human Behavior, 14(4) pp. 291-313.

8. Research Process Model

9. Boehm’s Alternative Model Boehm, V. R. (1980). Research in the 'real world': A conceptual model. Personnel Psychology, 33(3), 495-503. Organizational problem creates concern Analyze organizational context/constraints Review previous research Formulate trial solution Design study to deal with problem Justify need for additional research Convince organizations to undertake study Conduct study Analyze results Results valuable to organization? Implement results Yes No Look for usable side product Report and sell results

10. The Process • Two separate applied research consultations conducted with a: • Corrections Officers’ Association • State Troopers’ Association • Both conducted as part of separate binding arbitration procedures. • Nominal Group Technique • Use of Data

11. Consulting with Corrections • State Correctional Officers’ Association representing over 10,000 members. • Asked to assist in the binding arbitration process between the Officers’ Association and the State in which the officers served. • Asked to assist based in part on earlier work as a visiting fellow with the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Institute of Justice’s Corrections and Law Enforcement Family Support Program. • Also had some experience working as an intern with NYC Dept of Corrections. • EAP for NY State. • Grants. • Training for Deputy Sheriffs working within County Holding centers.

12. In Support of the Correctional Officers’ Association, conducted the following activities: • Developed a process to capture and quantify issues important to Association members and their families as how the job influence officer and the family. • Provided expert witness testimony as part of the binding arbitration hearings. • Didn’t find out about this until late in the process.

13. Quantify Job-Related Stress Based on initial meetings with the Association’s leadership, a goal was agreed upon to gather information about: • Officers’ and family members’ perceptions of characteristics and challenges of working in corrections. • The career’s impact on family life. • Perceived support provided by the Department of Corrections for the officer and family. • Issues related to individual, work and family, and organizational stressors.

14. Nominal Group TechniqueInitially developed: Delbecq, Van de Ven and Gustafson (1975) • Nominal because the individuals involved form a group in name only. • Participants do not attempt to agree as a group on any solution but vote on all ideas proposed. • It discourages any pressure to conform to the wishes of a high-status group member: all ideas are evaluated and the preferences are expressed in private balloting.

15. Nominal Group Technique Questions • What characteristics are needed to be a correctional officer or in a relationship with an officer? • What are the challenges to working in corrections? • How does the job affect the family? • What support is provided by the Department of Corrections for the officer? • What support is provided by the Department of Corrections for the family?

16. Nominal Group Procedure: Steps 1. Reflect alone on the focus question. 2. Round robin sharing of ideas on worksheet.* One person at a time…one idea at a time. * No discussion during this step. * Do not to repeat ideas. * Do “hitchhike” on others’ ideas and share at your next turn.Note: All ideas are recorderd as accurately as possible. 3.“Voting” Step: Each participant “votes” for the ideas that are “most important.

17. How does the job affect the family? • “I had to learn that the mood swings and attitude were not always towards me. They are mostly brought home from the job and because he doesn't want to talk about work with me I wouldn't always get that his problem was work and not something at home.” • “You must be understanding and cooperative and always willing to listen and not always offer advice. You must be able to absorb and diffuse conflict and irritation before they arise.” •  “reliably available, an example when they are stuck at work due to a fight etc… always need to have someone on backup for the kids.”

18. How does the job affect the family? • “Bad day at work equals bad day at home. The children get the blunt end of what happens at work. Our family gets treated like prisoners sometimes. Diseases can spread to officer and family; my husband had feces and urine thrown in his face by a hepatitis B and C positive inmate.” • “I have continually reminded him kids are not inmates. He can't expect them to jump immediately or follow rules consistently and they are not intentionally trying to play him. Won't go anywhere with crowds.”

19. What characteristics needed to be a correctional officer? • “Must be able to analyze individuals in a short amount of time to adapt to each situation.” • “Ability to cover problems before they escalate. Supervise convicted felons and de-escalate situations. Respond to emergency type situations, fights, gang violence, assaults.”

23. Hugo Munsterberg • “On the Witness Stand” in 1908. • Provided testimony as expert witness in highly publicized cases. • Did early research on eyewitness confidence and accuracy. • Made the point that experimental psychology could be of service to the practical needs of life. 23

24. Hugo Munsterberg At the first meeting of the of the APA (1892), he criticized his colleagues' work as “rich in decimals but poor in ideas.”

25. Consulting with Law Enforcement Based on previous success, invited back by the legal team and State Troopers Association to assist in their binding arbitration process. Reassess use of previous approach. The issues: • Health care insurance • Time of the job • State divided in terms of urban areas vs. rural areas.

26. NGT Questions 1. What lead you to join the State Police? 2. What are the challenges you face being a Trooper? 3. Given the challenges, why do you stay on the job as a Trooper? 4. What would make you leave the State Police?

28. Focus Groups Findings • Officers accepted the sacrifices the job required of them and their families for a career they found rewarding, a secure retirement and for the security of their families. • There was an expectation that in return for the sacrifices, their families would be supported with security of the benefits provided when the officer joined the agency. • Senior officers believed that they would be forced to leave an occupation they enjoyed and in which they took great pride, risk loss of retirement benefits and an uncertain future for their families. 

29. Survey Questionnaire • Information gained from the focus groups was used to develop a survey questionnaire that was distributed to all association members. • A total of 2,273 usable responses were received, providing a 57% response rate. The survey provided information to clarify: 1. Memberships’ satisfaction with healthcare coverage. 2. How potential changes to benefits may influence officers’ decision to leave. 3. How changes to benefits may encourage officers to stay longer.

32. The Bottom Line Based on overall intent to leave scores, 69.8% (n= 1586) of the respondents indicated an intent to leave the job if perceived negative changes were made to their healthcare benefits.

33. Implications For a work force of approximately 4000, the potential loss would be significant. • Not only in the number of personnel • Also the additional loss of their specialized knowledge, skills and abilities. • Replacing such personnel assets would take considerable time at a significant monetary expense.

34. A Bit More Detail • An improved medical plan • A weekend shift differential • Increases in clothing and equipment allowance These were not motivators to stay longer for officers who reported a greater number of years of service.

35. As indicated from the focus groups. Officers with more time on the job wanted to maintain benefits that were promised to them when they began their careers. It may be for this veteran group, healthcare benefits are viewed as hygiene factors (Herzberg, Mauser & Snyderman, 1959) and not motivators to stay with their agency, despite the pride and satisfaction they have for their profession.