NCJ Number
79357
Date Published
1981
Length
338 pages
Annotation
This text is intended for use in the criminal justice analysis course sponsored by LEAA and taught at the Criminal Justice Training and Technical Assistance Resource Centers located at five universities.
Abstract
The text provides materials that complement and support the analysis course and that can be used as a reference by criminal justice students and professionals. The material is organized to parallel the sequence of the course modules and focuses on the practical use of analysis in criminal justice decisionmaking rather than on abstract statistical techniques or theory. Part One examines some of the basic considerations that are central to the conduct of analysis. An organization, structure, and procedure are presented for conducting analysis and the systematic development of data sources in the criminal justice field. Part Two uses examples to present descriptive, comparative, and inferential methods that have demonstrated wide applicability to criminal justice problems. Emphasis is placed on the selection of appropriate methods for a specified problem, the methods' mathematics, and the correct interpretation of results. A problem involving the analysis of robberies in the hypothetical community of Chaos City is used to illustrate the descriptive methods discussed. Methods used for comparisons, selective inferential statistics, and applications to such system problems as a hypothetical court backlog problem are also discussed. Part Three treats the management and presentation skills that are essential for ensuring use of analysis. Effective oral and written presentations are discussed, and a management approach to planning and conducting analysis is explored. The hypothetical community of Chaos City is used throughout the text to provide examples. For the instructor's guide and participant's guide for the course, see NCJ 79355-56. For related courses on criminal justice planning and decisionmaking, see NCJ 79347-53 and 79358-67.