NCJ Number
16537
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1974) Pages: 14-21
Date Published
1974
Length
8 pages
Annotation
REVIEW OF CURRENT WORK ON CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM AND RESEARCH EFFICACY WITH SOME COMMENTS ON SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUES.
Abstract
CORRECTIONAL EVALUATORS HOLD CONFLICTING VIEWS ON PROGRAM AND RESEARCH EFFICACY, ASSERTS THE AUTHOR. HE GIVES AS THREE REPRESENTATIVE POSITIONS: (1) NO CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS HAVE SHOWN SPECIAL EFFICACY; (2) A FEW PROGRAMS SHOW SUPERIOR EFFICACY; AND (3) MOST EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS SHOW EITHER OFFENDER IMPROVEMENT OR COST-BENEFIT GAINS. DESPITE SUCH APPARENT CONFLICTS IN VIEW, HE ADDS, ALL EVALUATORS AGREE THE PAYOFF RATE FOR RESEARCH IN CORRECTIONS IS LOW. PROVISIONALLY, PAYOFF CAN COME FROM ANY METHODOLOGICAL DIRECTION, SO WE SHOULD NOT BECOME ENAMORED OF ELABORATE STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES OR OF CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS--NO MORE THAN CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT. IT SEEMS IMPORTANT ALSO TO SHAPE EVALUATIVE PROCEDURES AND SUBJECT MATTERS MORE CLOSELY TO THE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS AND THE DECISION NEEDS OF THE TIME. FOR THE PRESENT, IT APPEARS WISE TO FOCUS MORE ON CHANGING THE SYSTEM THAN ON CHANGING THE OFFENDER, ACCEPTING THAT AT A LATER TIME THE REVERSE EMPHASIS MIGHT BECOME MORE APPROPRIATE. WE NEED, OF COURSE, TO LEARN HOW TO CHANGE THE OFFENDER, ALTHOUGH RESOURCES SHOULD NOT BE EXPENDED HEEDLESSLY IN ATTEMPTING THIS CHANGE IN 'UNWORKABLE' STRUCTURES OR PROCEDURES. FINALLY, WE APPEAR TO NEED A NEW BREED OF RESEARCHERS--PEOPLE WHO CAN FORMULATE REALISTIC THOUGH INNOVATIVE PROGRAM PLANS AS WELL AS EXECUTE COMPETENT STUDIES IN A VARIETY OF RESEARCH DESIGNS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)