COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS - A JUDGMENTAL ASSESSMENT NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM, PHASE 1 FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 37884
• Author(s): B KREINDEL; R H ADAMS; R V D CAMPBELL; S P HOBART; J P MORESCHI
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 91 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0018
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Mitre Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM

Annotation

THE PHASE ONE INVESTIGATION OF COURT INFORMATION SYSTEM PROJECTS FOCUSES ON KNOWLEDGE OF SYSTEM COSTS AND EFFECTIVENESS, THE FEASIBILITY AND COSTS OF LEARNING MORE ABOUT SUCH SYSTEMS, AND PLANNING FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.

Abstract

IT IS DIRECTLY CONCERNED WITH INFORMATION SYSTEMS WHICH SUPPORT TRIAL COURTS (CASEFLOW MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS OTHER COURT OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT) AND ARE OPERATIONAL IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS. THIS REPORT PRESENTS A JUDGMENTAL ASSESSMENT INCLUDING FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE USEFULNESS OF COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO THE COURTS AND TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. IT IS BASED ON AN EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH, THE USE OF STRUCTURED INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES AS PART OF A NATIONWIDE TELEPHONE SURVEY OF TRIAL COURTS AND IN-DEPTH FIELD SITE VISITS TO A REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF COURTS WITH OPERATING COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THIS ANALYSIS IS AN EXAMINATION OF THE APPROACHES TAKEN BY THE COURTS IN MEETING THE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WHICH HAVE ARISEN IN THE COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS AREA. THESE ISSUES ARE CONCERNED WITH THE ORGANIZATION, CONDUCT, DESIGN, OPERATION, AND IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION OF SUCH SYSTEMS IN THE COURT ENVIRONMENT. UTILIZING THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED AS A PART OF THE PHASE I EVALUATION OF COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, THIS ASSESSMENT EXAMINES EACH OF THE FRAMEWORK ELEMENTS (SEE NCJ-37885) WITH RESPECT TO THE ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF OVERALL SYSTEM GOALS, THE MEASURES WHICH CAN BE USED TO EVALUATE PERFORMANCE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF DATA TO PERFORM SUCH MEASUREMENT. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS COPIES OF THE TELEPHONE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND THE QUESTIONS DISCUSSED DURING SITE VISITS, DISCUSSIONS OF THE CANDIDATE SYSTEM SELECTION CRITERIA AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 47 COURT SYSTEMS SURVEYED. FOR THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS FIVE-VOLUME SERIES, SEE NCJ-37882-83 AND 85-86. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)