NCJ Number
178242
Date Published
1999
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Justice convened a symposium of criminal justice officials and academic researchers to address the impact of Federal funding of crime and drug prevention programs.
Abstract
Conference participants developed a thorough picture of problems facing effective program assessment and a comprehensive set of recommendations for the future. They specifically addressed Federal support for State and local initiatives; coordination among criminal justice, drug abuse treatment, housing and urban, and education systems to maximize benefits of Federal funds; and issues associated with the distribution of Federal funds. Participants suggested a Federal role in setting strategies and goals for State and local programs by which these programs can be assessed while allowing practitioners flexibility in implementation. In addition, participants indicated Federal agencies can promote program evaluation capacity and technical assistance at State and local levels to facilitate better micro- level assessments that may be aggregated in meta-analyses for better understanding and that Federal agencies can promote integrating models such as those being developed by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Agriculture. Key obstacles to effective program assessment that can be addressed at the Federal level are noted. A list of conference participants is appended. 10 references