NCJ Number
9881
Date Published
1971
Length
10 pages
Annotation
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING THE RELATIVE SUCCESS OF VARIOUS CORRECTIONAL TECHNIQUES, FOCUSING ON RECIDIVISM AS AN INDEX OF EFFECTIVENESS.
Abstract
CLINICAL INTUITION TESTS AND COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT ARE A FEW OF THE CRITERIA USED IN CORRECTIONAL EVALUATION, HOWEVER, THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED MEASURE OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS IS RECIDIVISM. THIS PAPER EXAMINES NUMEROUS DEFINITIONS OF RECIDIVISM, LOOKS AT BASE EXPECTANCY CATEGORIES AS AIDS TO EVALUATION, DISCUSSES EVALUATIVE CRITERIA AND THE JOINT CORRECTIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION (JCPC), AND DETERMINES THE LENGTH OF FOLLOW UP STUDIES, THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS PAPER ARE THAT THE JCPC SHOULD ESTABLISH RECIDIVISM AS THE CHIEF CRITERION OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE, WITH OBJECTIVE COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT CRITERIA SUPPLEMENTING RECIDIVISM WHENEVER APPROPRIATE. ALSO SUGGESTED IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION'S DEFINITION OF RECIDIVISM BE ACCEPTED AS STANDARD FOR ALL STUDIES. OTHER CONCLUSIONS ARE THAT THE LENGTH OF THE FOLLOWUP PERIOD MUST VARY FROM STUDY TO STUDY, AND THAT BASE EXPECTANCY TABLES MUST BE DEVELOPED. THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION CONCERNS THE CONSTRUCTION OF 'A SINGLE UNIFIED BASE EXPECTANCY TABLE', UTILIZING 1966 INFORMATION ON RELEASEES AND PROBATIONERS WHO HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN CONVICTED OF CRIMES AGAINST PERSON AND PROPERTY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)