ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF DETACHED-WORKER PROGRAMS (FROM CONTROLLING DELINQUENTS, 1968, BY STANTON WHEELER AND HELEN MACGILL HUGHES - SEE NCJ-64125)

• NCJ Number: 64136
• Author(s): H F CLINE; H E FREEMAN; S WHEELER
• Date Published: 1968
• Length: 28 pages
• Corporate Author: John Wiley and Sons
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES HOW DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS CAN BE USED TO EVALUATE DETACHED WORKER PROGRAMS DEALING WITH YOUTH GROUPS OR GANGS.

Abstract

MANY COMMUNITIES HAVE ESPOUSED DETACHED WORKER PROGRAMS AS AN EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL METHOD OF CONTROLLING DELINQUENCY. ALL SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES NEED TO MAINTAIN SYSTEMATIC RECORDS FOR PURPOSES OF REPORTING TO POLICYMAKING BODIES, TRAINING AND SUPERVISION, COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES, EVALUATION, AND BASIC RESEARCH ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS. DETACHED WORKER PROGRAMS PRESENT DATA COLLECTION PROBLEMS BECAUSE WORKERS ARE IN THE FIELD ON FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES MAINTAINING IRREGULAR CONTRACTS WITH MANY GROUPS. THE USUAL PRACTICE OF RECORDING ACTIVITIES ON A WEEKLY BASIS IS TIME CONSUMING AND DIFFICULT TO CODE. AN ALTERNATIVE IS TO USE SMALLER AMOUNTS OF DATA, QUICKLY AND EASILY RECORDED, THAT CAN BE QUANTITATIVELY ANALYZED. THESE NEW PROCEDURES WERE DEVELOPED THROUGH EXPERIENCES WITH A DETACHED WORKER PROGRAM CONSISTING OF SIX PERSONS WHO FILLED IN INDEX CARDS WITH THE NAMES OF THEIR CONTACTS AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS AS WELL AS DICTATING WEEKLY SUMMARIES. BASED ON THE INDEX CARD RECORDS, A DATA COLLECTION FORM WAS DEVISED THAT LISTED BOYS OR GROUPS KNOWN BY THE WORKER AND REQUIRED THE FOLLOWING DATA: TIME OF CONTACT, LOCATION, TYPE OF ACTIVITY, BOYS' COMPANIONS AT TIME OF CONTACT, GROUP SIZE, WHO INITIATED CONTACT, AND REASONS FOR MEETING. ALL CONTACTS WERE CODED BY NUMBER. FORMS WERE TO BE MAILED TO THE AGENCY THE DAY AFTER ANY CONTACT, AND THE LISTS WERE REVISED BIMONTHLY. THE FORMS REQUIRED ABOUT 30 MINUTES PER DAY TO COMPLETE, AND THE WORKERS EVENTUALLY FOUND THE TASK TEDIOUS. OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDED THE LACK OF RESOURCES TO MONITOR WORKERS' REPORTS FOR RELIABILITY AND CODING INADEQUACIES. THE COMPUTER PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN PERMANENT RECORDS, SUMMARIZE OR CROSSTABULATE ANY DATA, PROVIDE TIME FOR ANALYSIS, AND PERMIT THE ADDITION OF SPECIALIZED SUBROUTINES. A FLOW CHART OF THE DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM AND EXAMPLES OF DATA OUTPUT ARE PROVIDED. FOR RELATED ARTICLES, SEE NCJ-64125. (MJM)