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USE OF COMPUTERS IN DECISION-MAKING (FROM AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION - PROCEEDINGS OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH ANNUAL CONGRESS OF CORRECTION - SEE NCJ-02838)

NCJ Number
10063
Author(s)
H L HILL
Date Published
1968
Length
11 pages
Annotation
INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLIED TO CORRECTIONAL MANAGEMENT AND CASE DECISIONS, IN SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES AND IN PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH ALTERNATIVES.
Abstract
ONCE THE CORRECTIONAL PROBLEMS ARE DEFINED, THESE SAME BASIC AIDS TO DECISION PROCESSES ARE POSSIBLE IN CORRECTIONAL DECISION-MAKING, WHETHER DECISIONS PERTAIN TO MANAGEMENT OR CASE DECISIONS. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, WHICH 'ARE RELATED TO THE FUNCTIONS OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, OPERATIONS IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING, ACHIEVEMENT ASSESSMENT, AND EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION'. THE AUTHOR ALSO EXAMINES THE USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AS AIDS IN CASE 'DECISIONS WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE FUNCTIONS OF ACCEPTANCE AND RECEIVING OFFENDERS, DIAGNOSIS, PROGRAM DECISIONS, OFFENDER PROGRAM PERFORMANCE IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING, AND DISCHARGING OFFENDERS'. AFTER NOTING CONSTRAINTS AND LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTER-BASED TECHNIQUES, THE CONCLUSION IS DRAWN THAT COMPUTER-BASED CORRECTIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS WILL EVENTUALLY ASSIST CORRECTIONAL DECISION MAKERS AS THEY MAKE POLICY DECISIONS, MANAGEMENT PLANS, OPERATIONAL CHANGES, AND DECIDE ON SPECIFIC PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUAL OFFENDERS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)