DELAWARE - DIVISION OF ADULT CORRECTIONS - STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING - A PROJECT EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 29798
• Author(s): P ROBINSON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 26 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Delaware Criminal Justice Planning Cmssn
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE AND IMPACT OF THREE OF THE FOUR PROJECT SUBGRANTS AWARDED TO THE DIVISION OF ADULT CORRECTIONS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ESTABLISHING AND MEETING STAFF TRAINING NEEDS.

Abstract

IT WAS NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE FIRST APPLICATION WAS APPROVED IN MAY 1971, VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF THE PROJECT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL NOVEMBER 1973, WHEN THE DIVISION HIRED A STAFF TRAINING OFFICER WITH STATE FUNDS THAT ANY SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY TOOK PLACE. THIS STAFF TRAINING OFFICER BECAME THE PROJECT DIRECTOR, AND UNDER HIS DIRECTION THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES OCCURRED FROM NOVEMBER 1973 TO JULY 1975: 260 DIVISION EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATED IN 1,261 HOURS OF TRAINING; ESTABLISHMENT OF A STAFF TRAINING ADVISORY COUNCIL, A STAFF TRAINING CENTER, AND A MANDATORY 56-HOUR PRESERVICE COURSE; AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERNAL TRAINING CADRE COMPOSED OF NINE DIVISION STAFF MEMBERS. THE EVALUATION SHOWED THAT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF EACH APPLICATION TENDED TO BE QUITE VAGUE AND GENERAL. THEREFORE, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF ACHIEVING THE STATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. ALSO, THERE HAD BEEN NO TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT STUDY DONE TO DEFINE WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE DIVISION WERE, SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF SATISFYING THOSE NEEDS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IF THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT WAS TO ESTABLISH A FUND WHICH WOULD ENABLE EMPLOYEES OF THE DIVISION TO ATTEND CONFERENCES, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS, THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED. HOWEVER, IF THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT WAS TO DEVELOP AN ON-GOING IN-HOUSE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE DIVISION, WITH ONE EXCEPTION--DEVELOPMENT OF A MANDATORY PRE-SERVICE COURSE FOR NEW CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS--THIS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH FUNDS PROVIDED THROUGH THIS PROJECT. IT WAS NOTED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE IN ONLY 4 OF THE 50 TRAINING SESSIONS OFFERED WERE COURSE EVALUATIONS COMPLETED BY THE PARTICIPANTS. FURTHERMORE, THERE WAS NO EVALUATION BY SUPERVISORS FOLLOWING TRAINING OF PARTICIPANTS TO DETERMINE IF IN FACT THE COURSE HAD HAD ANY IMPACT ON THEIR PERFORMANCE. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL FUTURE GRANTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED NEEDS AND QUANTIFIABLE AND MEASUREABLE OBJECTIVES, AND THAT A METHOD FOR EVALUATING ALL TYPES OF TRAINING BE DEVELOPED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)