NCJ Number
127773
Date Published
1990
Length
196 pages
Annotation
Based on interviews with 211 government officials, private organization representatives, and reporters who regularly cover criminal justice issues, this analysis of the policymaking structure of the criminal justice system in Cook County (Illinois) focuses on the communications between public and private actors.
Abstract
The analysis found that there is a severe lack of coordination between agencies in the system. As a result, juveniles often are not dealt with adequately, escalating drug arrests are straining the courts' capacity, there is no comprehensive information system, new programs are often not implemented, and public safety and confidence is eroded. The first chapter discusses values of criminal justice policymaking and explores the specific interagency conflicts that plague Cook County and how those conflicts are generally resolved. A statistical technique, smallest space analysis, is used to describe the results of a survey regarding communications between officials of various criminal justice agencies. Finally, the relationship between the media and the criminal justice network is described in terms of the extent and nature of source-media contact and the impact of the media on criminal justice policy. The primary recommendation of the report is to create an Office of Criminal Justice Policy to meet the county's long-term planning needs. 15 figures, 10 appendixes, and 74 references