NCJ Number
67388
Date Published
1978
Length
52 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING A STRUCTURED CHECK LIST FOR REPORTING INFORMATION ON THE RESOCIALIZATION OF OFFENDERS IS ASSESSED.
Abstract
A TOTAL OF 137 COMPLETED REPORT FORMS WERE COLLECTED FROM 16 PROBATION WORKERS FROM JUNE 1976, TO MAY 1977. FOUR JUDGES PARTICIPATED IN EVALUATION OF THE FORMS. THE STRUCTURED REPORTS DESCRIBE PERSONAL INFORMATION, THE MANNER IN WHICH THE REPORT CAME ABOUT, THE REPORT CONTENTS, THE OFFENSE SITUATION, A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF THE OFFENDER, EFFORTS OF THE COURTS AND ASSISTANCE AGENCIES, PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE OFFENDER, AND THE OFFENDER'S ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE, FAMILY SITUATION, SOCIAL AND MATERIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND SCHOOL AND WORK DATA. THE STUDY RESULTS IDENTIFIED ADVANTAGES OF THE STRUCTURED REPORT AS AVAILABILITY OF COMPLETE INFORMATION ON THE OFFENDER, TIME-EFFICIENCY, AND COMPREHENSIBILITY. THE REPORT FORM ALSO IMPROVES UNIFORMITY, OBJECTIVITY, AND FEEDBACK POSSIBILITIES. DISADVANTAGES OF THE REPORT ARE THE DANGER OF FRAGMENTING INFORMATION, COLORLESS DESCRIPTIONS, INCLUSION OF IRRELEVANT INFORMATION, AND OVERLAP AMONG REPORT SECTIONS. IN GENERAL, JUDGES ARE SATISFIED WITH THE REPORT FORMS, WHILE PROBATION WORKERS ARE AMBIVALENT. THE FORMS ARE FAR MORE USEFUL FOR LONG THAN FOR SHORT REPORTS. JUDGES CONSIDER INFORMATION ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF PARTICULAR PENALTIES AND ON POSSIBILITIES FOR ASSISTANCE MOST HELPFUL. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A BROCHURE ON PROPER USE OF THE REPORT FORM BE WRITTEN TO ENCOURAGE PRECISE INFORMATION. FURTHERMORE, THE SAME FORMAT SHOULD BE USED LOCALLY AND IN DISTRICTS. FINALLY, QUESTIONS ON THE REPORT FORM SHOULD BE REPHRASED MORE EFFECTIVELY AND METHODS DEVELOPED FOR COMPARING STRUCTURED REPORTS TO ORDINARY REPORTS. A SAMPLE REPORT FORM, AN EXPLANATION OF THE REPORT, FORMS USED FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REPORT FORM, AMOUNT OF THE REPORTS EVALUATED DEVOTED TO PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE APPENDED.