NCJ Number
51744
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF A COMPUTERIZED OFFENDER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
THE (OBSCIS) PROJECT TEAM'S OFFENDER-BASED STATE CORRECTIONS INFORMATION SYSTEM REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT'S MANUAL INFORMATION-PROCESSING PROCEDURES FOUND THAT THE PROCEDURES WERE HAMPERING MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. RESTRUCTURING THE MANUAL SYSTEMS WAS CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED. STUDIES OF AUTOMATED OFFENDER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN OTHER STATES RESULTED IN A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT COSTS FOR COLORADO. AN OVERALL GOAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR COLORADO'S AUTOMATED SYSTEM WERE ESTABLISHED, A PLAN FOR EVALUATING THE SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED, AND THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED. THE EVALUATION PLAN PROVIDES FOR ASSESSMENT OF SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS AS REFLECTED IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SPECIFIED MILESTONES AND IN COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM AND THE DEPARTMENT'S FORMER MANUAL PROCEDURES. A COST SAVINGS ANALYSIS COMPARES THE COSTS OF PERFORMING SPECIFIC INFORMATION TASKS USING MANUAL AND COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS. COST SAVINGS USING THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WERE 89.1 PERCENT FOR A JOB CLASSIFICATION SURVEY OF INMATES, 91.6 PERCENT FOR A PROFILE OF THE MAXIMUM SECURITY INMATE POPULATION, 96.6 PERCENT FOR A SURVEY OF ACTIVE DETAINERS, AND 90 PERCENT FOR A COMPILATION OF ESCAPE REPORTS. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COLORADO'S OFFENDER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM, DETAILS OF THE SYSTEM'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND OBJECTIVE-BY-OBJECTIVE REPORT OF SYSTEM EVALUATION FINDINGS, A SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO COLORADO'S PARTICIPATION IN THE OBSCIS PROJECT, AND INFORMATION ON THE COSTS AND FUNDING OF SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT IN COLORADO ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)