NCJ Number
56148
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 23-29
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM EVALUATION (SEE NCJ-44496) IS CRITICIZED FOR USING FOLLOWUP PERIODS OF DIFFERING DURATIONS, AND A TWO-STAGE PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATING COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS IS SUGGESTED.
Abstract
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE POINTLESS TO MEASURE RECIDIVISM AMONG DIVERSION PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS BEFORE TREATMENT WAS COMPLETED, EVALUATORS COMPARED REARREST RATES FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AFTER (BUT NOT DURING) PROGRAM PARTICIPATION WITH REARREST RATES FOR CONTROLS FROM THE TIME OF THEIR ASSIGNMENT TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THIS MEANT THAT THE FOLLOWUP PERIOD WAS LONGER FOR CONTROLS THAN FOR PARTICIPANTS, AND THAT DIFFERENCES FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS COULD HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN FOLLOWUP DURATION RATHER THAN TO ANY TREATMENT EFFECT. THE PROBLEM OF PRODUCING INTERPRETABLE RESULTS IN EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATIONS OF COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS IS A SERIOUS ONE. THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM IS SUCH THAT FOLLOWUP PERIODS FOR TREATMENT AND CONTROL GROUPS MUST BE BOTH EQUAL AND SIMULTANEOUS. A TWO-STAGE APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM IS SUGGESTED. STAGE-ONE ASSESSMENT BEGINS FOR BOTH EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL SUBJECTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER SUBJECTS ARE ASSIGNED TO GROUPS AND CONTINUES FOR BOTH GROUPS UNTIL TREATMENT IS COMPLETED. THE SECOND STAGE OF ASSESSMENT BEGINS AFTER TREATMENT IS COMPLETED AND CONTINUES FOR WHATEVER DURATION THEORY OR FINANCE DICTATES. THE SECOND STAGE IS WORTH CARRYING OUT ONLY IF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HAS A RECIDIVISM RATE EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THAT OF CONTROLS IN THE FIRST STAGE. IF IN THE FIRST STAGE THE RECIDIVISM RATES OF THE TWO GROUPS ARE COMPARABLE, IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT THE PROGRAM WAS NOT A SHORT-TERM DETERRENT, THAT THE TWO GROUPS ARE STILL EQUIVALENT, AND THAT A POSTTREATMENT FOLLOWUP CAN VALIDLY INDICATE ANY LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE TREATMENT. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)