NCJ Number
62370
Editor(s)
L SECHREST,
S O WHITE,
E D BROWN
Date Published
1979
Length
283 pages
Annotation
THE REPORT OF A PANEL THAT EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORRECTIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AND ASSOCIATED EVALUATIVE RESEARCH IS PRESENTED, ALONG WITH RELATED PAPERS COMMISSIONED BY THE PANEL.
Abstract
AFTER NEARLY 2 YEARS OF STUDY, THE PANEL ON RESEARCH ON REHABILITATIVE TECHNIQUES, ESTABLISHED UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, CONCLUDED THAT THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY USED TO EVALUATE OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS IS GENERALLY SO INADEQUATE THAT ONLY A RELATIVELY FEW STUDIES WARRANT ANY UNEQUIVOCAL INTERPRETATIONS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT RESEARCH ON OFFENDER REHABILITATION BE PURSUED MORE VIGOROUSLY, MORE SYSTEMATICALLY, MORE IMAGINATIVELY, AND MORE RIGOROUSLY. SPECIFICALLY, TREATMENTS SHOULD BE BASED UPON STRONG THEORETICAL RATIONALES, PERHAPS INVOLVING TOTAL PROGRAMS RATHER THAN WEAK OR PIECEMEAL TREATMENTS. THE FIVE COMMISSIONED PAPERS CONSIDER (1) AN EVALUATION MODEL FOR MEDICAL CARE BASED ON INFORMATION ABOUT PATIENT OUTCOMES AND ITS REPLICABILITY FOR OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS; (2) METHODOLOGICAL FACTORS OBSTRUCTING EFFECTIVE EVALUATION OF OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AND WAYS OF IMPROVING CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM EVALUATIONS; (3) MODELS OF CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM DESIGNED TO PREDICT THE LENGTH OF TIME FROM RELEASE TO COMMISSION OF ANOTHER OFFENSE, BASED UPON OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS; (4) ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE MEASUREMENT OF RECIDIVISM AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RECIDIVISM MEASUREMENT; AND (5) AREAS OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH WITH POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ACCURACY OF AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT AND A LIST OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE AT A PANEL CONFERENCE ON REHABILITATION HELD JULY 25-27, 1977. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED FOR THE RELATED PAPERS, SEE NCJ 62372-62375.