NATIONAL PAROLE INSTITUTES - FINAL EVALUATION REPORT, NOVEMBER 1976

• NCJ Number: 48867
• Author(s): A T HARLAND
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 33 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-ED-99-0019
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TWO 5-DAY INSTITUTES AND THREE 3-DAY SEMINARS ON DECISIONMAKING AND OTHER ASPECTS OF PAROLE ARE EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THE SESSIONS.

Abstract

THE TWO INSTITUTES WERE HELD IN OREGON AND NORTH CAROLINA, THE SEMINARS IN GEORGIA, ARIZONA, AND ILLINOIS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRES AT THE CLOSE OF THE PROGRAMS AND SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE SEMINARS. A LOG, CONTAINING FURTHER INFORMATION, WAS MAINTAINED BY THE EVALUATOR FOR ONE INSTITUTE AND ONE SEMINAR. THE EVALUATION REPORT PRESENTS PROGRAM-SPECIFIC FINDINGS AS WELL AS FINDINGS INDICATIVE OF THE POLICY IMPACT OF THE INSTITUTES AND SEMINARS. WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE PARTICIPANTS CONSIDERED THE PROGRAMS TO BE EFFECTIVE. THE PROGRAMS APPEAR TO BE SATISFYING THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF PAROLE AUTHORITIES. MOST PARTICIPANT SUGGESTIONS FOR PROGRAM CHANGES WERE ADDITIVE RATHER THAN CRITICAL. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT THE SESSIONS, PARTICULARLY THE COMPONENTS DEALING MOST DIRECTLY WITH DECISIONMAKING, HAD DEFINITE APPLICATIONS IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY WORK. FOLLOWUP DATA INDICATE THAT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS SHARE THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCES WITH OTHER PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS. THIRTY-ONE (42.5 PERCENT) OF THE PARTICIPANTS RESPONDING TO THE FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRE REPORTED CHANGES IN PAROLE BOARD FUNCTIONING AS A RESULT OF PROGRAM PARTICIPATION. THE MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED INNOVATION INVOLVED CLARIFICATION OF PAROLE CRITERIA AND POLICIES. RESPONDENTS ALSO REPORTED AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF MOTIVATIONS BEHIND PAROLE DECISIONS AND AN INCREASED ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER THE VIEWS OF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS IN PAROLE DECISIONMAKING. IN VIEW OF THE STATED GOALS OF THE NATIONAL PAROLE INSTITUTES, TO INCREASE PAROLE AUTHORITIES KNOWLEDGE AND TO ENHANCE THEIR WILLINGNESS AND ABILITY TO CHANGE, THE SEMINARS AND INSTITUTES HAVE ACHIEVED SUBSTANTIAL SUCCESS. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)