NCJ Number
48323
Date Published
1972
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A CRIME-SPECIFIC APPROACH TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING IS OUTLINED, AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEM WITHIN A CRIME-SPECIFIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
A CRIME-SPECIFIC APPROACH INVOLVES A CONSIDERATION OF THE CRIME, THE OFFENDER, THE VICTIM, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH A VIEW TOWARD DETERMINING CHANGES IN THE OFFENDER, THE LAW, THE COMMUNITY, OR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WHICH WILL REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF REOCCURRENCE OF ADDITIONAL SIMILAR OFFENSES. GIVEN THE GOAL OF CRIME REDUCTION, ANY NUMBER OF STRATEGIES TOWARD THIS END CAN BE UNDERTAKEN THROUGHOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. EXAMPLES OF SUCH STRATEGIES ARE LISTED FOR POLICE, PROSECUTOR, COURTS, AND REHABILITATION AGENCIES. WITH AN ULTIMATE GOAL OF CRIME REDUCTION, THE INFORMATION DELIVERY SYSTEM CAN THEN BE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION, ITS TIMELINESS, ITS DEGREE OF PRIVACY AND SECURITY, AND THE ECONOMY OF THE SYSTEM. THE CRITERION OF ECONOMY INVOLVES SUCH CONSIDERATIONS AS THE POTENTIAL FOR ROUTINIZATION OF DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING, THE MANNER IN WHICH INFORMATION IS DELIVERED, AND THE CAPABILITY FOR IDENTIFYING INFORMATIONAL PARAMETERS NECESSARY TO THE REDUCTION OF THE RISK POTENTIAL IN MANAGERIAL DECISIONMAKING. ALTHOUGH STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS EXIST, THE EVALUATION PROCESS FOR STATEWIDE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS IS STILL BEING DEFINED AND REFINED. VICTIMIZATION STUDIES CAN PROVIDE INDICATORS FOR ASSESSING DATA ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS, BUT THE REMAINING CRITERIA WILL REQUIRE MORE SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION. THE IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATING CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGAINST THEIR USEFULNESS AND PRODUCTIVITY IN CRIME REDUCTION IS EMPHASIZED.