DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDEX TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS IN CORRECTIONAL SETTING EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 42972
• Journal: CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CORRECTIONS Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1977) Pages: 273-277
• Author(s): S L Kellar; K A Carlson
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Canadian Criminal Justice Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

AFTER REVIEWING A NUMBER OF METHODS USED TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS, THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES A NEW INDEX (THE PROGRAM REHABILITATION INDEX) WHICH COMPARES PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT CRIME INVOLVEMENT.

Abstract

SUCH METHODS AS PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT PERSONALITY TEST COMPARISONS, FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS, AND SIMPLE COUNTS OF RECIDIVISM HAVE ALL BEEN USED TO MEASURE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, MEASURES OF RECIDIVISM TEND TO IGNORE 'IMPROVEMENTS' SUCH AS INVOLVEMENT IN LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES, WHILE FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS ARE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN IN MANY CASES. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE A NEW MEASURE OF PROGRAM SUCCESS WHICH MAY OVERCOME SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES INHERENT IN EARLIER MEASURES. IN THIS PROGRAM REHABILITATION INDEX, PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS IS MEASURED BY COMPARING THE AVERAGE SEVERITY OF A DISCHARGED INMATE'S FOLLOW-UP OFFENSES TO THE AVERAGE SEVERITY OF HIS ORIGINAL OFFENSE. A CRIME SERIOUSNESS SCALE PROVIDING NUMERICAL VALUES FOR VARIOUS CRIMES IS USED TO CALCULATE THESE MEASURES...DMC