NCJ Number
62064
Date Published
1978
Length
523 pages
Annotation
TO HELP EVALUATORS, PLANNERS, AND DECISIONMAKERS PRODUCE EFFECTIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATIONS, THIS HANDBOOK DESCRIBES TECHNIQUES TO OVERCOME TYPICAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION.
Abstract
AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEMS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION IS PRESENTED, AND NUMEROUS PROBLEMSOLVING TECHNIQUES ARE DESCRIBED, FOCUSING ON PROCEDURES TO OVERCOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS (REVIEWING THREATS TO VALIDITY, TIME SERIES DESIGNS, PREDICTION METHODS, DETERMINING APPROPRIATE SAMPLE SIZES IN EVALUATION, RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY PROBLEMS, MEASURING CHANGE IN THE CRIME RATE, MEASUREMENT STRATEGIES FOR DETERMINING CITIZEN POLICY PREFERENCES, ETC.). A DISCUSSION OF TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING THE UTILITY OF EVALUATION FINDINGS IN PLANNING, PROJECT OPERATION, AND DECISIONMAKING EXAMINES A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO EVALUATION, ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR ESTABLISHING THE CRITERIA OF SUCCESS, COST-BENEFIT AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION, AND THE ROLE OF EVALUATION IN RATIONAL AND BARGAINING DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES. IN ADDITION, EIGHT EVALUATIONS OF PROJECTS WITHIN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON ARE PRESENTED TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR INNOVATIVE OR EXEMPLARY APPROACHES FOR OVERCOMING PROBLEMS IN FIELD EVALUATION AND TO ILLUSTRATE PRINCIPLES DISCUSSED IN THIS VOLUME. TECHNIQUES FOR PROTECTING THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY OF DATA ARE ILLUMINATED THROUGH DISCUSSIONS OF THE TYPES OF FORMS NEEDED, THE ACTUAL EXAMPLES OF PROCEDURES THAT WERE USED, AND THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN OBTAINING INFORMED CONSENT. MOREOVER, THE MOST RECENT LEAA REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY, SECURITY, AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS ARE INCLUDED. SOME REFERENCE SERVICES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIALS FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATOR ARE PRESENTED. TABULAR DATA, CHARTS, GRAPHS, AND SAMPLE FORMS ARE INCLUDED.