NCJ Number
14619
Date Published
1973
Length
285 pages
Annotation
METHODS OF ASSESSING THE EFFICIENCY OF PROSECUTION, COURT, AND CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS, USING THE TECHNIQUES OF COST-BENEFIT AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS.
Abstract
PART ONE OF THE TEXT PROVIDES AN ANALYSIS OF THE METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF APPLYING COST-BENEFIT AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS TECHNIQUES TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF AN AMERICAN MODEL FOR REDUCING SYSTEM COSTS WHICH IS BASED ON A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE COST-BENEFIT APPROACH IS NOT APPROPRIATE AT THE PRESENT TIME BECAUSE IT IS NOT YET POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY THE BENEFITS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES. IN PART TWO THE AUTHOR ILLUSTRATES THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS APPROACH WITH AN ANALYSIS OF THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS OF CRIMINAL COURTS, PROSECUTION, AND CORRECTIONS IN THE WEST GERMAN STATE (LAND) OF BAVARIA IN 1964. INCLUDED IS A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF THE 1969 REFORM OF THE WEST GERMAN PENAL CODE IN REDUCING THE COSTS TO THE BAVARIAN SYSTEM. THE THREE BASIC FEATURES OF THE REFORM WERE THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF CERTAIN OFFENSES, THE PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF SHORT-TERM IMPRISONMENT WITH MONETARY FINES, AND THE STANDARDIZATION OF CATEGORIES OF IMPRISONMENT. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS OVER 50 TABLES OF STATISTICAL DATA USED IN THE STUDY. --IN GERMAN