NCJ Number
51033
Date Published
1975
Length
214 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC TRAINING EMPLOYED TO INCREASE AND IMPROVE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL SYSTEMS ARE STUDIED.
Abstract
USING THE STATIC-GROUP COMPARISON DESIGN ONE HYPOTHESIS AND SEVEN SUBHYPOTHESES WERE FORMULATED TO DETERMINE WHETHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN THE EXPRESSED ATTITUDES TOWARD PARTICIPATION IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (CJS) OF SUBJECTS WHO VIEWED A SERIES OF FOUR TELEVISION PRESENTATIONS ON CJS, AND SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT VIEW THE SERIES. THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT EXAMINED OF THE 500 QUESTIONNAIRES SENT OUT, 192 WERE RETURNED, AND, USING A TABLE OF RANDOM NUMBERS, THE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE SUBJECTS WAS REDUCED TO 48 ON THE BASIS OF RACE, SEX, AND TELEVISION OR NO TELEVISION. THE STATISTICAL PROCEDURES WERE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE AND ANALYSIS OF CITIZEN PRIORITIES, EXPECTATIONS, AND CONFIDENCE BY COMPUTATION AND COMPARISON OF PERCENTAGES BASED ON CATEGORY OF RESPONSE. THE FINDINGS NEITHER SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS NOR THE SUBHYPOTHESES. THE RESULTING RECOMMENDATIONS FOLLOW: (1) ESSENTIAL DATA SHOULD BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO INTERVENTION AND THE FUTURE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED GROUP; (2) FUTURE CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE COVARIANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND RACE; (3) SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION SHOULD BE DONE ON THE SOURCE DIFFERENCES OF ATTITUDES BASED ON SEX AND EDUCATIONAL LEVELS; (4) EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMS SHOULD BE ASSESSED; (5) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS SHOULD COOPERATE IN TRAINING EFFORTS; (6) THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARD A LARGER POPULATION; AND (7) THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SHOULD BE SHARED SO AS TO ENCOURAGE FURTHER COOPERATION. THE STUDY PROVIDES REFERENCE NOTES, TABULAR DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND APPENDIXES WHICH INCLUDE A SAMPLE OF THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND RAW DATA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-JCP)