NCJ Number
49512
Date Published
1976
Length
26 pages
Annotation
THE VALIDITY AND THE EFFECTS OF THE 'ALMOST NOTHING WORKS' DOCTRINE ON CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT THEORY, RESEARCH, METHOD, AND REHABILITATION MEASURES ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE 1974 ARTICLE BY ROBERT MARTINSON IN PUBLIC INTEREST (SPRING 1974) DENYING EFFICACY IN PRISON REFORM RESULTED IN A MAJOR UNCERTAINTY IN THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONS. THE FOLLOWING ISSUES IN CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT ARE CONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF MARTINSON'S 'NOTHING WORKS' DOCTRINE: (1) THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF CORRECTIONAL TREATMENTS; (2) THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESEARCH SHOULD STRIVE FOR RIGOR IN PROPER LOCATION OF RESEARCH EFFORTS; (3) THE IMPORTANCE OF SYSTEM MODELS IN EVALUATION; (4) THE PLACE OF ADVOCACY IN RESEARCH; (5) THE IMPORTANCE OF THEORY IN TREATMENT AND RESEARCH; (6) THE PLACE OF ADVOCACY IN RESEARCH; (7) THE PREFERRED TRAINING FOR RESEARCHERS; AND (8) OPTIMAL ADMINISTRATIVE STYLES FOR CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT HAS BEEN AND CAN BE AS EFFICACIOUS AS OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL REFORM AND THAT SYSTEM MODELS OF EVALUATION ARE UNDERUSED. MANY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT RESEARCH METHODS MAY NEED REVIEW. TECHNIQUES THAT WORK IN RESEARCH MUST BE RECOGNIZED AS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS THOSE THAT WORK IN CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT. THE TREND TOWARD ASSESSMENT OF EVALUATIONS SHOULD RESULT IN SHARPER PERCEPTIONS ON HOW TO STRUCTURE RESEARCH OPERATIONS. FURTHER STUDY IS NEEDED ON THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF FORMAL THEORY, THE ABSENCE OF THEORY, AND GROUNDED THEORY AS BASES FOR PRODUCTIVE RESEARCH. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DAG)