MASSACHUSETTS - DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES, 1969-1973 A STUDY OF HOW POLICY CHANGE WITHIN AN AGENCY IS AFFECTED BY ITS EXTERNAL POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

• NCJ Number: 19481
• Author(s): B A STOLTZ
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 507 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Annotation

DESCRIPTION OF THREE DECISIONS WHICH MARKED KEY POINTS IN THE POLICY CHANGE PROCESS, ALONG WITH DISCUSSION OF THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS ON THESE DECISIONS.

Abstract

THE PRIMARY METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH USED IN THIS WORK WAS THE CASE STUDY. TWO DECISIONS AND ONE LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATION, WHICH APPEARED TO MARK THREE KEY POINTS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE POLICIES OF THE AGENCY, WERE EXAMINED. THE FIRST DECISION STUDIED WAS THAT OF REORGANIZING THE YOUTH CORRECTIONS AGENCY AND APPOINTING A NEW AGENCY HEAD. THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE FIRST SUCCESS OF THE REFORMERS TO INITIATE CHANGE. THE SECOND DECISION EXAMINED WAS THE DUAL DECISION TO REGIONALIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICE (DYS), AND CLOSE THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION. THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN EFFORT BY REFORMERS IN THE DYS TO DIRECT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY BY GAINING CONTROL OVER AGENCY PROGRAMS IN WHICH YOUTHS WERE TREATED. THE LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN EFFORT BY CONSERVATIVES IN THE LEGISLATURE, IN THE AGENCY, AND GROUPS OUTSIDE THE AGENCY TO LIMIT THE CHANGES BEING EFFECTED BY THE REFORMERS. THIS, THE TWO DECISIONS AND THE INVESTIGATION MANIFEST THREE STAGES IN THE CHANGE PROCESS - INITIATION OF CHANGE, ASSERTION OF CONTROL BY THE ADVOCATES OF CHANGE AT THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE, AND OPPOSITIONAL RESPONSE TO THE CHANGES. DATA FOR THE CASE STUDIES WERE GATHERED FROM NEWSPAPERS, REPORTS WRITTEN BY VARIOUS SOURCES ON YOUTH CORRECTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND INTERVIEWS. AFTER DESCRIBING THE THREE DECISIONS THE INFLUENCES OF PARTICIPATION, FORMAL POLITICAL STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES, AND INFORMAL DYNAMICS ON POLICY CHANGE ARE EXAMINED. SEVERAL GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT POLICY CHANGES, AS SUGGESTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS EXPERIENCE, ARE DISCUSSED. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE GENERALIZATIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE IN OTHER AREAS ARE SUGGESTED. THE DISCUSSION IS DIVIDED INTO EIGHT SECTIONS, PRECIPITATION OF CHANGE, CHANGE MADE THROUGH THE EXTERNAL POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE AGENCY, INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY CHANGE, OPPOSITION TO CHANGE, CONSOLIDATION OF CHANGE, CRISIS AND CHANGE, PARTICIPATION AND CHANGE, AND THE DISPERSION OF POLICY CHANGE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)