NCJ Number
62702
Date Published
1979
Length
91 pages
Annotation
A FORMAL SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE CUSTODY STATUS OF INMATES WAS DEVELOPED OUT OF THE SUBJECTIVE AND INFORMAL CRITERIA PREVIOUSLY USED BY THE CLASSIFICATION STAFF AT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.
Abstract
THE NEW SYSTEM IS INTENDED TO INCREASE UNIFORMITIY AND CONSISTENCY OF THE CLASSIFICATION DECISION, TO MAKE THE CRITERIA ACCESSIBLE TO SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS, TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY AND THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS, AND TO MAINTAIN A SYSTEM THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO INDIVIDUAL INMATE CHARATERISTICS AND NEEDS. IT CONSISTS OF A SIMPLE SCHEME OF WEIGHTED ELEMENTS WHICH INCORPORATES OVER 1,000 UNIQUE COMBINATIONS OF CASE CHARACTERISTICS AND WHICH CAN BE COMPLETED FOR EACH INMATE IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE INITIAL LIST OF CRITERIA WAS ARRIVED AT THROUGH A CONSENSUS METHOD IN WHICH STAFF MEMBERS NOTED THEIR OWN CRITERIA, AND THEN ADDED TO THE CRITERIA LISTS OF OTHERS. THE LISTS WERE UNIFIED, AND THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EACH LISTED ITEM WAS DETERMINED THROUGH A PROCESS KNOWN AS INTERPRETIVE STRUCTURAL MODELING. THE RESULTING LIST WAS CONVERTED INTO A DECISION-TREE DIAGRAM, WHICH ACTS AS A SCREEN THROUGH WHICH EACH INMATE MUST PASS, STARTING WITH THE HIGHEST PRIORITY CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA, BEFORE A LEVEL IS REACHED WHERE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION IS KNOWN TO MAKE A FINAL CLASSIFICATION STATUS ASSIGNMENT (MINIMUM, MEDIUM, OR CLOSE CUSTODY). FINALLY, FIELD FORMS WERE DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE STAFF TO RAPIDLY DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE CUSTODY GRADE OF EACH INMATE. APPENDIXES CONTAIN OUTLINES OF THE METHODS USED TO IDENTIFY CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA, A LIST OF THE SELECTED CRITERIA, A DESCRIPTION OF INTERPRETIVE STRUCTURAL MODELING, A LIST OF CRITERIA IN RANK ORDER, AND A COPY OF THE USERS MANUAL FOR INMATE CUSTODY CLASSIFICATION. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.