NCJ Number
50960
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (FALL 1977) Pages: 1-11
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE EVALUATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS, TWO MODELS ARE ASSESSED AS POSSIBLE EVALUATION TOOLS. THE SOCIAL ACCOUNTING MODEL IS RECOMMENDED.
Abstract
THE REASONS WHY CLASSICAL EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH IS INFEASIBLE FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS ARE REVIEWED. EVEN WITH QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS, A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS ARE ENCOUNTERED, AND WHENEVER THERE IS CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EVALUATION DESIGN AND THE NEEDS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE DESIGN HAS TO BE CHANGED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT GENERAL EVALUATION MODELS WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO ALL CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT TRADITIONAL RESEARCH DESIGNS. THESE MODELS SHOULD FOCUS ON ATTRIBUTES WHICH ARE COMMON ACROSS SUBSYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS. GOAL EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY MODELS ARE DISCUSSED, WITH EMPHASIS ON WEAKNESSES OF THE GOAL-ORIENTED EVALUATION MODELS. THE SOCIAL ACCOUNTING MODEL, AN EFFICIENCY MODEL, PROVIDES DESCRIPITON OF THE SYSTEM'S SOCIAL BENEFITS AND SOCIAL COSTS AND EXPRESSES PROGRAM VALUE IN TERMS OF A NET SURPLUS OR A NET DEFICIT. THE SOCIAL ACCOUNTING MODEL ALLOWS EVALUATION ACROSS TIME, COUNTERPART SYSTEMS, PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITIES. THE FEASIBILITY OF EXPRESSING THE COSTS OF CRIME AND THE BENEFITS OF A CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM IN MONETARY TERMS IS DEMONSTRATED. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THESE COSTS BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE FORMATION OF A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SOCIAL ACCOUNTING COMMITTEE. THIS GROUP OF EXPERTS WOULD DEVELOP THE DATA BASE NECESSARY FOR SOCIAL ACCOUNTING AND HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS. REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE APPENDED.