EFFECTIVENESS OF VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN COURT AND CORRECTIONS - AN EVALUATION OF POLICY RELATED RESEARCH FINAL REPORT, APRIL 1975

• NCJ Number: 28352
• Author(s): T J COOK; F P SCIOLI
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 149 pages
• Grant Number(s): NSF G1-39277
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: University of Illinois, Chicago Circle
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT ON THE FINDINGS OF A PROJECT TO EVALUATE RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN THE AREA OF COURTS AND CORRECTIONS.

Abstract

A GROUP OF 43 REPORTS WERE DETERMINED TO BE USABLE FOR PURPOSES OF THE PROJECT AND WERE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF FIVE MAIN CONSIDERATIONS. THESE INCLUDED SPECIFICITY OF PROGRAM STRUCTURE, MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES EMPLOYED, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VALIDITY OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROPRIATENESS OF DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURES, AND POLICY UTILITY OF FINDINGS FOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMING. THESE WERE APPLIED TO A SPECIFIC SET OF RESEARCH ISSUES - VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT, SCREENING, MATCHING, ORIENTATION, AND TRAINING AND THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON CLIENT BEHAVIOR. A PRIMARY FINDING IS THAT THERE IS A LACK OF EMPIRICAL AND VALID RESEARCH WHICH CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES THAT VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHER PROGRAM ALTERNATIVES, SUCH AS TRADITIONAL PROBATION. THE REPORT CONCLUDES WITH A RECOMMENDED APPROACH FOR EVALUATING A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)