NCJ Number
146077
Date Published
1992
Length
39 pages
Annotation
Using the example of Florida's experience in curriculum development and training for juvenile justice staff, this paper argues that training may have both direct and indirect implications for the quality of policy reform and program implementation.
Abstract
While carefully timed and well-managed training interventions may significantly contribute to effective juvenile justice program implementation, the Florida case study suggests that the ad hoc use of training in the absence of other system interventions may be counterproductive and set training efforts up for failure. The author notes that few if any researchers have explicitly addressed training as an issue in policy and program implementation and that criminologists concerned with program integrity and treatment delivery have had little if anything to say about the effects of training on program and treatment outcomes. A significant factor limiting the impact of training has been the training enterprise's isolation from the activities of agency managers and policymakers responsible for implementation. Based on Florida's experience, several general recommendations are made for developing training systems that effectively support policy and program implementation. 65 references, 6 footnotes, and 1 figure