NCJ Number
53109
Date Published
1978
Length
68 pages
Annotation
IN AN EFFORT TO EVALUATE THE NEEDS, PROBLEMS, AND PROSPECTS OF THE NEW JERSEY CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNERS ASSOCIATION (CJPA) AN EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED.
Abstract
THIS STUDY USED FOUR SOURCES OF DATA: (1) A LITERATURE REVIEW, (2) MAILED QUESTIONNAIRES, (3) PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND (4) AN ANALYSIS OF CJPA'S PLANS. A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING IS PRESENTED. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 21 LOCAL PLANNING UNITS IN NEW JERSEY, WITH 12 OF THESE UNITS RESPONDING. PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH PLANNERS IN ORDER TO ELABORATE ON THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES PRESENTED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRES. FINALLY, AN ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED OF NEW JERSEY PLANNERS' COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANS WHICH ARE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PLANNING AGENCY. A SET OF 19 OF THE MOST RECENT PLANS WERE OBTAINED FOR THE PRESENT EVALUATION. THIS EVALUATION PROPOSED TO ANSWER THREE RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) IS SYSTEM-WIDE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING TAKING PLACE, OR ARE LOCAL PLANNING UNITS PLANNING ONLY FOR LEAA OR STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PLANNING AGENCY (SLEPA) FUNDS; (2) DOES PLANNING BY THE LOCAL UNITS AMOUNT TO LITTLE MORE THAN A PAPERWORK EXCERCISE REQUIRED BY STATUTE AND LEAA GUIDELINES; AND (3) IS CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING UNWORKABLE BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS? IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT SYSTEMWIDE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING IS NOT TAKING PLACE AND MOST NEW JERSEY PLANNING UNITS ARE PLANNING ONLY FOR LEAA OR SLEPA FUNDS, AND LOCAL UNITS HAVE FOCUSED MORE ON ENSURING STATUTORY COMPLIANCE THAN ON UNDERTAKING EFFECTIVE PLANNING. FINALLY, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT RESPONSIBLE LOCAL PLANNING IS DESIRABLE AND POSSIBLE. (MLC)