Profiles of fairness: examining the latent dimensions of probation officer-client relationships and their impact on supervision compliance

Prior research has demonstrated the importance of the probation officer-client relationship for improving supervision outcomes, such as reducing recidivism. Despite this emerging body of research, few studies have examined the influence of client characteristics and supervision experiences on the quality of their therapeutic alliance (TA). While some past research has often categorized clients into low, medium, or high TA, these methods may overlook significant variations in probationers’ relationship quality. Utilizing self-reported data collected from a sample of individuals on probation in a western state (n = 185), this study employs latent profile analysis (LPA) to determine whether distinct profiles emerge regarding clients’ perceptions of the supervision officer therapeutic alliance, including their influence on offending outcomes. The results revealed two latent profiles distinguishing clients who reported either a moderate or particularly strong TA with their probation officer. Additionally, clients’ perceptions of procedural justice significantly predicted each TA classification. However, the quality of the relationship was unrelated to compliance outcomes. Risk scores, previous violating behaviors, and clients’ perceptions of legal antipathy were the only significant predictors of receiving a technical violation or engaging in offending behavior. These findings have important implications for theory, policy, and practice.