NCJ Number
64271
Date Published
1979
Length
38 pages
Annotation
A COMPUTER SIMULATION PROGRAM DESIGNED TO FACILITATE DECISIONMAKING WITHIN THE UTAH DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
THE SIMULATED CORRECTIONS PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO SERVE PLANNING, PREDICTION, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL UTILITY PURPOSES FOR THE DIVISION'S THREE COMPONENTS (UTAH STATE PRISON, COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTERS, AND ADULT PROBATION AND PAROLE). DIVISION-SUPPLIED DATA HAVE BEEN ADAPTED TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMPUTER-AUTOMATED SOCIAL SIMULATION (CASS) MODEL. DECISION ELEMENTS OF THE CASS INCLUDE (1) DECISION OPTIONS THAT REFER TO ALTERNATIVE IMPLEMENTATION CHOICES; (2) CATEGORIES OF EFFECTS REPRESENTING INDEXES OF SPECIFIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH DECISION OPTION; (3) DIMENSIONS OF ANALYSIS OR GROUPINGS OF CATEGORIES INVOLVING UP TO 12 EFFECTS PER CATEGORY; (4) PRIORITIES INDICATING THE COMPARATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECT CATEGORIES AND ANALYSIS DIMENSIONS; AND (5) COSTS OF RESOURCE INVESTMENTS FOR EACH DECISION OPTION. THE SIMULATION PROGRAM CAN BE MODIFIED BY SELECTING AVAILABLE DECISION OPTIONS THAT MAXIMIZE DESIRED EFFECTS RELATIVE TO PRIORITIES AND/OR COSTS. THE UTILITY OF COMPUTER MODELS IS EXAMINED FROM A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE, AND POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS ARE NOTED. A DECISION MATRIX IS INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON DECISION OPTIONS USED IN THE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS SIMULATION PROGRAM AND SAMPLE COMPUTER RUNS. (DEP)