NCJ Number
56519
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
STEPS IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS AS RELATED TO COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ARE SUMMARIZED, WITH CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO MEASUREMENT AND GOALS FOR TWO ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS (REINTEGRATION AND RECIDIVISM REDUCTION).
Abstract
THREE DEFINITIONS ARE OFFERED THAT PROVIDE A BASIC FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING EVALUATION: (1) EVALUATION ASSUMES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ONGOING PROGRAM IN ACHIEVING ITS OBJECTIVES, RELIES ON PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH DESIGN TO DISTINGUISH A PROGRAM'S EFFECTS FROM THOSE OF OTHER FORCES WORKING IN A SITUATION, AND AIMS AT PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT THROUGH MODIFICATION OF OPERATIONS; (2) EVALUATION IS A PROCESS OF MAKING JUDGEMENTS ABOUT SELECTED PERSONS, OBJECTS, AND EVENTS BY COMPARING THEM WITH SPECIFIED VALUE STANDARDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DECIDING AMONG ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION; AND (3) EVALUATION INVOLVES MEASURING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF PROGRAM GOALS. THE LINKAGE BETWEEN GOALS/OBJECTIVES OF A PROGRAM AND MEASUREMENT OF PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS OR IMPACTS IS IMPORTANT. MEASUREMENT IS KEY IN THIS LINKAGE, BUT HOW TO MEASURE IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE. WAYS OF MEASURING OR EVALUATING PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE CLASSICAL EXPERIMENT, QUASIEXPERIMENTS, PREEXPERIMENTS OR CASE STUDIES, SURVEY RESEARCH, COST-BENEFIT RESEARCH, ADMINISTRATIVE AUDITS, AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH,. IN CORRECTIONS, A FOCAL POINT OF CONCERN IN THE LINKAGE BETWEEN MEASUREMENT AND GOALS IS RECIDIVISM. THE RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT SCALE HAS BEEN USED IN OHIO TO COMBINE THE TWO GOALS OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, REINTEGRATION AND THE REDUCTION OF RECIDIVISM. THE SCALE COMBINES MEASURES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND REINTEGRATIVE ADJUSTMENTS TO PROVIDE A SCORE UPON WHICH A PROGRAM CAN BE MEASURED. STEPS INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS ARE SUMMARIZED IN TERMS OF THREE BROAD PHASES: SELECTING AN EVALUATION TOPIC; DEVELOPING AN EVALUATION PLAN; AND CONDUCTING AND MANAGING AN EVALUATION. (DEP)