NCJ Number
57298
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
OPERATIONAL PROCESSES OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION UNIT IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD., ARE EXAMINED IN AN EFFORT TO DEMONSTRATE THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COUNTY IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCY OPERATION.
Abstract
THE EVALUATION OF THE UNIT WAS PERFORMED BETWEEN JUNE 1976 AND JUNE 1977. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO DETERMINE IF UNIT OBJECTIVES SPECIFIED IN THE LEAA GRANT APPLICATION WERE ACCOMPLISHED. INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM PLANNERS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, THE UNIT DIRECTOR, STUDENT RESEARCH INTERNS, DECISIONMAKERS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AND COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. DATA COLLECTION METHODS INLCUDED INFORMAL INTERVIEWS, STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, AND QUESTIONNAIRES. FOUR OBJECTIVES OF THE UNIT WERE EVALUATED: (1) TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF EVALUATION PRODUCTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW BY COUNTY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE DECISIONMAKERS, AND PERSONNEL IN THE LEAA DELIVERY SYSTEM; (2) TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF NONPAID TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO DECISIONMAKERS IN THE COUNTY; (3) TO INCREASE THE UNDERSTANDING, LEGITIMACY, AND POTENTIAL USE OF PROCESS EVALUATION RESULTS; AND (4) TO INCREASE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE UNIT. EVALUATION RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT UNIT PRODUCTIVITY WAS HIGH, THAT STUDENT RESEARCH INTERNS WERE INVOLVED IN PROCESS EVALUATION PROJECTS ON A NONPAID BASIS, THAT PERCEPTIONS OF PROCESS EVALUATION WERE GENERALLY FAVORABLE, THAT APPROXIMATELY HALF OF DECISIONMAKERS EITHER USED OR SUGGESTED THAT OTHERS USE PROCESS EVALUATION FINDINGS, AND THAT MOST DECISIONMAKERS BELIEVED THE UNIT POSSESSED A HIGH DEGREE OF CREDIBILITY. RECOMMENDATIONS STEMMING FROM THE EVALUATION ARE DETAILED IN RELATION TO THE FOUR OBJECTIVES OF THE UNIT. (DEP)