INDICATORS OF JUSTICE - MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF PROSECUTION, DEFENSE, AND COURT AGENCIES INVOLVED IN FELONY PROCEEDINGS, A GUIDE TO PRACTITIONERS

• NCJ Number: 36010
• Author(s): S WILDHORN; M LAVIN; A PASCAL
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 73 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0003
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Rand Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FIRST REPORT IN A 2-VOLUME SERIES PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF AN 18-MONTH STUDY OF THE USE OF STATISTICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES IN THE CONTEXT OF FELONY PROCEEDINGS.

Abstract

THIS REPORT SUMMARIZES AND SYNTHESIZES THE APPROACH, THE METHODS USED, AND THE OVERALL FINDINGS OF A BROAD STUDY OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES INVOLVED IN ADULT FELONY PROCEEDINGS -- POST-ARREST THROUGH DISPOSITION. THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO IDENTIFY, SCREEN, AND EVALUATE SETS OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES ESTIMATED FROM AGENCY RECORDS AND SURVEYS OF LAY PARTICIPANTS AS INDICES OF PROGRESS, AND TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR APPLICABILITY IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OREG., AND DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. THE AREAS OF STUDY INCLUDED CHARGING STANDARDS AND ACCURACY, PLEA BARGAINING, SENTENCE VARIATION, EVENHANDEDNESS, DELAY, AND ATTITUDES OF LAY PARTICIPANTS. IT WAS FOUND FEASIBLE TO APPLY PERFORMANCE MEASURES TO DATA ALREADY AVAILABLE IN COURT AGENCIES' FILES, EVEN THOUGH INCOMPLETE, AND TO DRAW INFERENCES ABOUT WHETHER AND HOW PERFORMANCE IN SPECIFIED AREAS CHANGED IN A JURISDICTION. AN INTEGRATED PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT PROGRAM (IPMP) THAT OUTLINES THE ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN JOINTLY BY COURT, PROSECUTION, AND PUBLIC DEFENDER AGENCIES IN A JURISDICTION TO STRENGTHEN THE INFORMATIONAL AND ANALYTICAL BASE FOR MEASUREMENT OF THEIR PERFORMANCE IS PRESENTED. FOR THE COMPANION VOLUME TO THIS REPORT, SEE NCJ-36011. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)