MAP (MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROGRAM) MARKERS - RESEARCH AND THE MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROGRAM (FROM AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION - ANNUAL CONGRESS OF CORRECTION, 104TH PROCEEDINGS - HOUSTON, TX, AUG 74, 1975 - SEE NCJ-30907)

• NCJ Number: 30918
• Author(s): J O ROBINSON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 27 pages
• Corporate Author: American Correctional Association
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IN THIS CONFERENCE SPEECH, THE RESEARCHER BRIEFLY OUTLINES THE RESEARCH DESIGN USED IN AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROGRAMMING, AND OUTLINES THE SERIOUS DATA PROBLEMS WHICH LIMITED THE VALIDITY OF THE RESULTS.

Abstract

AS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED, THE RESEARCH DESIGN CALLED FOR A STUDY SAMPLE OF 200 CASES IN EACH STATE, DIVIDED EQUALLY INTO 100 EXPERIMENTALS AND 100 CONTROLS BY A PROCESS OF RANDOMIZATION. HOWEVER, SEVERAL PROBLEMS OF ESTABLISHING THE MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROGRAMS, SELECTION OF CLIENTS, AND CLIENT ATTRITION LIMITED THE NUMBER AND NATURE OF SUBJECTS. IN SPITE OF THESE LIMITATIONS, THE RESEARCH WAS CARRIED OUT USING THE AVAILABLE DATA. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, THE AUTHOR HAD EARLIER CONCLUDED THAT THE CONTRACTUAL MODEL COULD BE USED AS A VEHICLE FOR ABBREVIATING THE PERIOD OF INCARCERATION, SINCE A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER NUMBER OF EXPERIMENTALS HAD BEEN RELEASED WHEN COMPARED TO CONTROLS. HOWEVER, A REANALYSIS OF THE DATA ON CLIENT BACKGROUNDS SHOWED THAT THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ACTUALLY SERVED MORE TIME THAN CONTROL SUBJECTS, LEADING THE AUTHOR TO CONCLUDE THAT THE EARLIER RELEASE PHENOMENON WAS PROBABLY A SELECTION EFFECT AND NOT THE RESULT OF MAP. THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS TO THE FUTURE OF MAP, AND URGES CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF MAP.