TERMINATION - HOW THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES CLOSED THE PUBLIC TRAINING SCHOOLS

• NCJ Number: 38396
• Author(s): R D BEHN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 102 pages
• Corporate Author: Duke University
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS WORKING PAPER EXAMINES ONE SUCCESSFUL EFFORT AT TERMINATING A GOVERNMENTAL POLICY.

Abstract

THE ANALYSIS INCLUDES: HOW THE TACTICS OF SURVIVAL WHICH MAINTAIN MOST GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MOST PUBLIC POLICIES WERE NEUTRALIZED; HOW THE BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TERMINATION POLICY WERE OVERCOME; AND HOW THE NEW REPLACEMENT POLICY--THE PRIVATELY-OPERATED, COMMUNITY-BASED GROUP-HOMES POLICY--WAS CONSOLIDATED. DEFINITIONS ARE OFFERED FOR THREE DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONS FOR POLICY TERMINATION (THE OPPONENT'S MOTIVATION, THE REFORMER'S MOTIVATION, AND THE EFFICIENT MANAGER'S MOTIVATION) AND TACTICAL ADVANTAGES WHICH THE REFORMERS AND OPPONENTS HAVE OVER THE EFFICIENT MANAGERS ARE SUGGESTED. THE OPPONENT'S MOTIVATION IS THE BELIEF THAT THE POLICY IS WRONG - THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THIS ACTIVITY. THE REFORMER'S MOTIVATION, THE BELIEF THAT THE EXISTING POLICY DIRECTORY CONFLICTS WITH THE WOULD-BE-TERMINATOR'S OWN PROGRAMMATIC GOALS AND THAT A NEW POLICY CANNOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE OLD ONE IS TERMINATED, WAS THE MOTIVATION FOR CLOSING THE MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC TRAINING SCHOOLS. THE EFFICIENT MANAGER'S MOTIVATION IS THE BELIEF THAT THE FINANCIAL COSTS OF A PROGRAM ARE NOT WORTH THE BENEFITS - THAT THE MONEY WOULD BE BEST SPENT ELSEWHERE BY EITHER GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE CITIZENS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)