MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - EVALUATION OF AREA BOARD CLASSIFICATION, INTERIM REPORT 1 - PROCESS DESCRIPTION AND STATISTICAL SUMMARY

• NCJ Number: 59102
• Author(s): E CHAYET
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 78 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS EVALUATION OF AREA BOARD CLASSIFICATION AT THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION IS A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF DECISIONMAKING AND ITS RELEVANCE TO DESIRED OUTCOMES.

Abstract

THE AREA BOARDS IN MASSACHUSETTS ARE CHARGED WITH PERIODICALLY REVIEWING INMATE STATUS SUBSEQUENT TO THE INITIAL INTAKE CLASSIFICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY AND SUITABILITY FOR INTER-INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFER. EACH OF THE THREE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DOC REGIONS ADMINISTERS ITS OWN BOARDS FOR MEN HOUSED WITH THE AREA'S FACILITIES. THE EVALUATION'S MAIN OBJECTIVE WAS TO DESCRIBE THE OPERATION OF THE THREE AREA BOARDS BY DEVELOPING AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, DEPICTING THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROCESS, AND PROVIDING A STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF THE NUMBERS SEEN, TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS MADE, AND CENTRAL OFFICE ACTIONS VIS-A-VIS THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. A PRELIMINARY FOLLOWUP ANALYSIS ALSO WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE PERIOD STUDIED WAS JULY, 1977 THROUGH JANUARY, 1978. THE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES OF ALL CASES HEARD BY AREA BOARDS DURING THIS TIME WERE CHARACTERIZED USING BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES. THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS UTILIZED A BASE POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 1,200 CASES SEEN DURING THE TIME PARAMETER. SEVERAL FINDINGS EMERGED. MOST AREA BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS (60.7 PERCENT) WERE FOR LESS EMPHASIS ON CUSTODY. CENTRAL OFFICE APPROVED A MAJORITY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS BUT EVIDENCED A MORE CONSERVATAIVE ORIENTATION BY APPROVING MORE TRANSFERS TO HIGHER CUSTODY THAN THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATIONS. THE LENGTH OF THE CLASSIFICATION PROCESS WAS FOUND TO BE GREATER THAN EXPECTED AND THE OUTCOME ANALYSIS OF AREA BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS DEMONSTRATED A FAIRLY HIGH DEGREE OF CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE SECURITY LEVEL OF THE ORIGINAL PLACEMENT RECOMMENDED BY THE BOARD, THOSE APPROVED BY CENTRAL OFFICE, AND THE ACTUAL PLACEMENT FOLLOWING THE HEARINGS. THE PRESENT STUDY DID IMPLY THE NEED FOR MORE TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION PLUS AN UPGRADING IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DECISIONMAKING. TABULAR DATA AND APPENDIXES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)