NCJ Number
43128
Date Published
1976
Length
73 pages
Annotation
CURRENT PROBLEMS CAUSED BY DECENTRALIZED CASE FILE MAINTENANCE AND UNSTRUCTURED CASE FILE ORGANIZATION ARE ADDRESSED AND A UNIFORM INFORMATION FLOW SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR HAWAII'S CORRECTIONAL MASTER PLAN.
Abstract
UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE INFORMATION PROCESSING AND SYSTEM EVALUATION BRANCH OF THE NEW CORRECTIONAL PLAN'S INTAKE SERVICE CENTER WILL ABSORB THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CURRENT CORRECTIONS RESEARCH AND STATISTICS BUREAU AS WELL AS FUNCTIONS NOW PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS AND FACILITIES, INTERVIEWS WITH MAJOR USERS OF CORRECTIONAL DATA WERE HELD. THIS REPORT IS BASED ON THAT RESEARCH. AT PRESENT, PERFORMANCE OF INDIVIDUAL OFFENDERS IS DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE BECAUSE CASE FILES ARE KEPT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AND ONE PERSON'S FILES MAY BE SCATTERED AMONG SEVERAL DIVISIONS. THIS CENTRALIZED INFORMATION SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE RETRIEVAL FOR EACH PERSON'S HISTORY AS WELL AS TO GENERATE NEEDED STATISTICAL DATA AND MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING INFORMATION. REPORT INSTRUMENTS AND RECORDKEEPING SYSTEMS FOR VARIOUS INFORMATION INPUTS ARE DESIGNED. BECAUSE A UNIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL REPLACE INDIVIDUAL CASE FILES NOW KEPT BY THE ADULT PROBATION DIVISION, THE DISTRICT COURT COUNSELING DIVISION, HAWAII STATE PRISON, AND HALAWA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SET UP A 'GOAL ATTAINMENT EVALUATION SYSTEM' FOR EACH OFFENDER. A THREE-LEVEL SECURITY CLASSIFICATION IS DEVELOPED TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY. SAMPLES OF STATISTICAL REPORTS POSSIBLE ARE GIVEN; POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS ARE DETAILED. USER REVIEW IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL BEFORE FINAL INSTALLATION.