NCJ Number
62169
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 490-496
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A COMPUTER SIMULATION MODEL KNOWN AS 'CRIMESIM' IS DESIGNED FOR USE BY ANY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OR AGENCY AND TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS, PLANNERS, AND DECISIONMAKERS.
Abstract
THE FLEXIBILITY OF CRIMESIM ALLOWS DECISIONMAKERS TO CREATE A COMPUTER SIMULATION OF THEIR SYSTEM BY ENTERING THEIR OWN VARIABLES, PRIORITIES, AND DATA. NO KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTER LANGUAGES OR ADVANCED MATHEMATICS IS REQUIRED. IN SALT LAKE COUNTY, UTAH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS USING CRIMESIM TO ANALYZE AND EVALUATE OFFICER PERFORMANCE. THE UTAH STATE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS HAS FUNDED A PROJECT TO USE CRIMEISM IN DEVELOPING A SIMULATION OF THE STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. CRIMESIM CONSIDERS RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DECISION OPTIONS, EFFECT CATEGORIES, ANALYSIS DIMENSIONS, PRIORITIES, AND COSTS. THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE DECISION OPTIONS IS AT THE LOGICAL CENTER OF THE MODEL. CRIMESIM EXPANDS THE SCOPE OF ANALYSIS POSSIBLE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING, AND THE LARGE-SCALE DISPLAY OF ASSIGNED PRIORITIES IN THE MODEL ENCOURAGES A BALANCED ASSESSMENT OF DECISION ALTERNATIVES. THE CRIMESIM MODEL ALLOWS PLANNERS TO DETERMINE THEIR PRIORITIES AND ASSESS THE MULTIPLE CONSEQUENCES OF SELECTING ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM STRATEGIES. ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO DELEGATE DECISIONMAKING AUTHORITY TO A COMPUTER PROGRAM, THE CRIMESIM PROGRAM CAN AID IN USING INFORMATION INTELLIGENTLY. SUPPORTING DATA ARE TABULATED. (DEP)