Perceptions of Social Support Exchange While on Probation

• In Event: Post-Conviction Pathways: Exploring Employment and Support Mechanisms and Experiences

Abstract

Individuals under community supervision make up the majority of all adults under correctional supervision in the U.S., suggesting a need for research which delves deep into the nature of the challenges faced by this population. While it is well documented that romantic partners can have an immense impact on system-impacted persons’ behavior and that the social and financial challenges of community supervision often cause system-impacted persons to rely on their families for assistance, far less is known about how people under community supervision perceive social support exchanges more broadly. Thus, this paper uses grounded theory methodology to analyze qualitative interviews with people on probation in Missouri in order to explore how individuals under community supervision perceive such exchanges with a wide variety of individuals. Uniquely, this work explores perceptions of social support exchange with family, romantic partners, friends, acquaintances, and probation officers. Findings reveal that the delivery of social support and cultural scripts around personal responsibility influenced how participants conceived of social support exchanges. In the end, the findings presented suggest a need to develop policy which assists individuals under community supervision in building prosocial relationships, yet takes into account potential barriers to helpful social support exchange.

Author

• Andrea Giuffre, University of Missouri - St. Louis