NCJ Number
60546
Date Published
1979
Length
211 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME IS PART OF AN INITIAL FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICES. IT DETAILS THE BASIC INFORMATION WHICH MIGHT BE GATHERED BY SUCH A SYSTEM.
Abstract
IN THIS STUDY, THE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) PRODUCED INFORMATION RELATING TO THE FLOW OF A CASE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE PROJECT FOCUSED ON THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF DEFENDER OFFICES WITH 6 TO 70 FULL-TIME ATTORNEYS. THE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS WERE DEVELOPED IN TWO STAGES: AN INFORMATION AND DATA-GATHERING STAGE AND A DEFINITION OF REPORTS AND DATA ELEMENTS STAGE. THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION DURING THE DATA-GATHERING STAGE WAS 3-DAY SITE VISITS TO 5 TYPICAL DEFENDER JURISDICTIONS, AS WELL AS INTERVIEWS WITH 36 PUBLIC DEFENDERS. DURING THE REPORT AND DATA ELEMENT DEFINITION STAGE, DEFENDERS' INFORMATIONAL NEEDS WERE ORGANIZED INTO STRUCTURED REPORTS THAT WOULD MEET THOSE NEEDS THROUGH AUTOMATION. THESE REPORTS WERE ORGANIZED INTO THE FOLLOWING GROUPS: BASIC STATISTICAL REPORTS, MINIMUM REPORTS, STANDARD REPORTS, AND MAXIMUM REPORTS. DEFENDERS' INFORMATIONAL NEEDS WERE THEN DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF STAFF RESISTANCE TO AUTOMATION, THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATION SHARING, DATA INTAKE, AND CASELOAD WEIGHTING. GENERALLY, ATTORNEYS HAVE AN ANTIPATHY TO THE AUTOMATION OF INFORMATION, ALTHOUGH THEY EXPRESSED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST WHEN PRESENTED WITH THE ADVANTAGES OF THE MIS; ATTORNEYS WOULD BE WILLING TO RECEIVE DATA IN A SHARED SYSTEM BUT WOULD REFUSE TO SUPPLY DATA THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO THE PROSECUTION; AND MOST ATTORNEYS EXPRESSED A NEED FOR AN EASILY APPLIED SYSTEM OF USING THE DATA KNOWN AT THE TIME CASES ARE ASSIGNED IN ORDER TO DISTRIBUTE THE WORKLOAD EQUITABLY AMONG OFFICE ATTORNEYS. FINALLY, A DISCUSSION OF CONFIDENTIALITY, PRIVACY, AND SECURITY IN A SHARED SYSTEM LEADS TO SEVERAL CONCLUSIONS: SUFFICIENT SAFEGUARDS MUST BE IMPLEMENTED TO ASSURE DEFENDERS THAT THE PROSECUTION WILL GAIN NO ADVANTAGE THROUGH SUCH DATA; PRIVACY AMONG OFFICE STAFF IS NOT A SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEM; THE GENERAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE IS AS RESTRICTIVE AS THE LEAA-PROMULGATED PRIVACY REGULATIONS. APPENDIXES CONTAIN SYSTEM-PRODUCED INFORMATION, A TABLE OF SAMPLE REPORTS, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF DATA ELEMENTS, DATA ELEMENT CODES, SITE-SELECTION METHODOLOGY, AND SITE VISITS. FOOTNOTES AND GRAPHS ARE PROVIDED.