NCJ Number
74077
Date Published
1981
Length
204 pages
Annotation
The manual presents a set of procedures to help corrections departments assess the achievement of their goals and to monitor the effectiveness of State prison and parole services by measuring outcomes.
Abstract
Intended for corrections administrators, State officials, budget agencies, and legislators, the manual also provides information on determining priorities in resource allocation, motivating staff to improve performance, identifying particular problem areas, and increasing the accountability of government services to the public. The procedures address three major activity goals: security, humane treatment of prisoners, and postrelease success of offenders. With the participation of two State departments of corrections (North Carolina and Minnesota), the Urban Institute developed and tested measurement techniques to meet the criteria that techniques should (1) measure outcomes, not processes; (2) be important to corrections administrators; (3) be easy to obtain; and (4) be easy to interpret. As a result, 15 performance areas and the appropriate evaluation measures are suggested for regular monitoring, including escape frequency, victimization, prison atmosphere, overcrowding, safety, sanitation, fire safety, physical health status of inmates, mental health status, basic skills of prisoners, and vocational skills. Other areas are medical and mental health services, employment after release, and recidivism. Six types of data collection procedures or sources are needed for the set of measures: records typically kept by corrections agencies, inmate survey results, reports of health and fire inspections, physical examinations of inmates, educational and vocational testing, and records of various other State departments. The measures are available in three packages: a basic package, the survey package (including the inmate survey materials), and the comprehensive package (including sophisticated measures of overcrowding, accidents, fire losses, and recidivism). Graphs, tables, figures, and footnotes are provided. The costs and staff time requirements to implement each of these measurement packages are discussed. Detailed instructions for survey procedures and questionnaire formats, as well as sample logs and other recording forms, are appended. The manual contains an executive summary.