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Assessment of Affirmative Action in Criminal Justice Agencies An Executive Summary

NCJ Number
98267
Author(s)
J A Conley; C Dunning; W Feyerherm; E Hochstedler; C E Pope; J Sprowls
Date Published
Unknown
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Summaries are presented of three studies of affirmative action (AA) case law, policies and procedures, and attitudes within the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The first study reviews court decisions affecting employment in the criminal justice system. The review's major finding is that cases involving discrimination in police recruitment, selection, and promotion policies and procedures predominate, and that the trend of decisions has been to increasingly place the burden of proof of nondiscrimination upon the defendant-agency. The second study examined factors that played a role in advancing or impeding AA goals. Analysis of data from 19 agencies indicates that four major factors influencing AA program success, were attitudes among tha administrative leadership and the presence/absence of a hiring quota. The final study investigated general and criminal-justice-specific AA attitudes among correctional and law enforcement employees. The findings show a correlation between general and specific attitudes, and between demographic variables (particularly race, sex, and education) and attitudes. A negative relationship was found between agency success in meeting AA goals and hiring quotas and general job satisfaction and satisfaction with communications and the promotional system.