NCJ Number
53401
Date Published
1978
Length
134 pages
Annotation
A COST-EFFECTIVENESS COMPARISON OF APPROACHES TO PAROLE SUPERVISION IN CALIFORNIA IS DOCUMENTED, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESTRUCTURING THE PAROLE SUPERVISION PROCESS ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
QUALITATIVE INFORMATION ON OPERATIONS, INCLUDING A LIST OF PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND LESSONS LEARNED, WAS OBTAINED FROM THE MANAGERS OF 13 FIELD DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS AND 2 ONGOING PROGRAMS. INFORMATION ON CRIMINALITY AND COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT WAS GATHERED FROM PAROLE AGENTS, CASE FILES, AND OTHER SOURCES FOR A TOTAL OF 750 ADULT OFFENDERS, AND 21 COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT MEASURES AND 10 CRIMINALITY MEASURES (INCLUDING A RISK-TO-THE-COMMUNITY MEASURE) WERE DEVELOPED. THE PER-PERSON TOTAL ANNUAL COST OF PAROLE SUPERVISION WAS CALCULATED FOR EACH PROJECT/PROGRAM. THESE MEASURES AND CALCULATIONS WERE COMBINED TO DETERMINE COST-EFFECTIVENESS RATINGS FOR CATEGORIES OF PROJECTS/PROGRAMS AND FOR INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS/PROGRAMS. THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE TYPES OF PROGRAMS WERE SUMMARY PAROLE, RESTRUCTURED CASE MANAGEMENT (SPECIALIZED SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY A TEAM OF AGENTS ACTING AS RESOURCE BROKERS), AND REGULAR SUPERVISION. A RESTRUCTURING OF PAROLE SUPERVISION ALONG THE LINES OF AN OFFENDER-MATCHED SERVICES/CONTROL MODEL IS PROPOSED ON THE BASIS OF INSIGHTS GAINED FROM THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS STUDY. DETAILS OF STUDY METHODS AND FINDINGS ARE REPORTED, AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND SERVICE/CONTROL CONCEPTS INCORPORATED IN THE PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING ARE OUTLINED. SUPPORTING DATA AND COPIES OF DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)