NCJ Number
64116
Date Published
1978
Length
36 pages
Annotation
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY, INTEGRAL ISSUES IN PROGRAM EVALUATION, ARE USUALLY OVERLOOKED IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION. SEVERAL STUDIES OF COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS ILLUSTRATE THIS FACT.
Abstract
MODES OF MEASUREMENT USED IN THESE EVALUATIONS WERE OBSERVATIONS, INTERVIEWS, AND THE USE OF ARCHIVAL INFORMATION (RECORDS, FILES, REPORTS, OR ACCOUNTS). 'THINGS MEASURED' FELL INTO TWO GENERAL CATEGORIES: INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES. OBSERVATION PROCEDURES OFFER POTENTIAL FOR CAPTURING RELIABLE AND VALID DATA ON INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES. OBSERVATIONS, HOWEVER, CANNOT GAUGE MOTIVES UNDERLYING ACTIONS AND THEY CANNOT PROBE THE PAST. BECAUSE INTERVIEWS LEND THEMSELVES TO DATA COLLECTION AT THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL, THEY ARE FREQUENTLY EMPLOYED TO MEASURE INTERVENTION OUTCOMES AND CONSEQUENCES OF POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, PEOPLE DO NOT ALWAYS RELIABLY REPORT THINGS THEY HAVE SEEN, AND INTERVIEWERS SOMETIMES ASK QUESTIONS RESPONDENTS ARE NOT COMPETENT TO ANSWER. INTERVIEW-BASED OUTCOME MEASURES IN COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION EVALUATIONS INCLUDE VICTIMIZATION, FEAR OF CRIME, SATISFACTION WITH PROGRAMS OR SERVICES, AND REPORTING OF CRIME TO THE POLICE. ARCHIVAL MEASURES ARE OFTEN USED BECAUSE THEY ARE AVAILABLE AND INEXPENSIVE TO COLLECT, YET THEY DO NOT ALWAYS REFLECT WHAT EVALUATORS REALLY WANT TO KNOW. HOWEVER, THEY ARE USEFUL IN OFFICIAL CRIME COUNTS AND HAVE POTENTIAL AS INDIRECT INDICATORS OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME. PROCEDURES FOR ESTIMATING THE REALIABILITY OF MEASURES ALL INVOLVE MARKING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SIMILAR MEASURES OF A CONCEPT. THIS SHOULD BE COUPLED WITH THOROUGH DOCUMENTATION OF THE RESULTS IN EVALUATION REPORTS TO ESTABLISH THE CREDIBILITY OF THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED AND TO PROVIDE A USEFUL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR THOSE CONDUCTING FUTURE EVALUATIONS BASED ON THOSE FINDINGS. NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)