NCJ Number
75825
Journal
Journal of Employment Counseling Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1977) Pages: 115-119
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Problems in conducting research with public offenders are discussed including (1) lack of dissemination avenues, (2) lack of a situational data base, and (3) lack of rapport between researchers and criminal justice staff.
Abstract
Problems with dissemination avenues are compounded by the diversity of disciplines involved in criminal justice work. Because specialists tend to read only materials within their own discipline, little cross-pollination tends to occur. This problem is related to the lack of a criminal justice data base capable of providing comprehensive statistical data. Different jurisdictions tend to use different reporting mechanisms and sometimes fail to cooperate in reporting efforts with each other. Finally, researchers often receive mixed receptions from criminal justice officials. Research tends to interfere with institutional activities, especially security. Researchers sometimes require special arrangements, which may be difficult to make in understaffed, over crowded institutions. Also, criminal justice officials often feel threatened by studies mandated by higher authority or studies evaluating facilities, programs, or staff. In addition, rehabilitative studies encounter problems with predicting success, since released prisoners often drop from sight. Conditions of inmate participation in studies and the concept of withholding treatment as part of a research design are ethical problems which prison researchers must consider. Eight references are included.