NCJ Number
64645
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1979) Pages: 11-16
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURTS IN PROVIDING CORRECTIVE AND PREVENTIVE SERVICES CAN BE ENHANCED BY BUDGETARY PLANNING.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH COURTS MUST COMPETE WITH OTHER AGENCIES FOR GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS, THEIR PERSONNEL USUALLY LACK TRAINING IN FISCAL MATTERS. COURTS ARE MANDATED TO PROVIDE PREVENTIVE AS WELL AS CORRECTIVE SERVICES. ALTHOUGH ACTION CANNOT BE TAKEN UNTIL A PROBLEM ENTERS THE COURT'S JURISDICTION, PLANNING FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS CAN ENSURE THAT RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN NEEDED AND CAN JUSTIFY FUNDING. THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF A COURT ARE DIFFICULT TO MEASURE BECAUSE OF SUBJECTIVE DEFINITIONS CONCERNING OBJECTIVES. BUDGETARY PLANNING, HOWEVER, CAN AID IN ADJUSTING SERVICES TO CHANGES IN APPROPRIATED FUNDS. IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO MEASURE EFFICIENCY IN TERMS OF OUTPUT-INPUT RATIOS. BY DEFINITION A COURT IS EFFECTIVE IF ITS OUTPUTS ARE SATISFACTORY; ITS EFFICIENCY CAN THEN BE DETERMINED BY MEASURING THE INPUTS OR DOLLARS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THAT OUTPUT LEVEL. THE JUVENILE JUDGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COURT, BUT HE DELEGATES CONSIDERABLE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY TO THE CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER. THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT PHASES IN BUDGET PLANNING: PROGRAMMING, WHICH RESTRUCTURES THE GOALS OF THE COURT INTO SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES, AND BUDGETING, WHICH TRANSLATES THESE PROGRAMS INTO TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND COSTS. FORECASTING THE NEEDS AND COST OF SERVICES CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY REVIEWING HISTORICAL RECORDS AND USING MATHEMATICAL TECHNIQUES SUCH AS REGRESSION, SINUSOIDAL, AUTOREGRESSIVE, AND MULTIPLE REGRESSION MODELS. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (MJM)