Reference no: EM133269112

Assignment:

If I were a probation officer, I think it would be hard for me to find a balance between acting with discretion and acting with arbitrariness. I think that I would try to find a balance between acting with discretion and acting with arbitrariness by using my own discretion only when I must decide how to manage or punish certain problematic offenders who are under my supervision. I believe that I would try to balance my arbitrariness by seeking advice from my colleagues on how to manage certain situations where the guidelines or rules are arbitrary to achieve the most desirable outcome for me and the offenders under my supervision.

I think that some guiding principles that I would use in order to keep this balance between discretion and arbitrariness would be to always strive for efficiency when doing my job, to treat others the same way that I would want to be treated if I were in their situation, and to try to treat every one of the criminal offenders under my supervision with respect. I would also use lessons that I learned from my years of experience working in retail stores to help me keep the balance between discretion and arbitrariness. One lesson that I learned while working in retail that I would use is that if you want to avoid making arbitrary mistakes when doing a job, it is always smart to ask for more experience coworkers for advice on how to perform certain tasks.

Do you agree or disagree with my answer below? You do not have to answer the questions, just explain why you agree with my answer or disagree.

If I was a probation officer my first job will always be to do what needs to be done to help the people assigned to me. I will try to follow the rules as much as I can but I wouldn't compromise who I am as a person. In other words I would stay in between the lines of the law however I will trust my gut first and I would be willing to just take whatever punishment. The goal would be to have some form of an equilibrium but I know that it would be rare. I would just try my best to do what I can If we were to switch roles. I will provide any and all help options for the offender because that is my job.