NCJ Number
59148
Date Published
1978
Length
34 pages
Annotation
A CRITIQUE OF THE METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED IN A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF MANPOWER SERVICES ON OFFENDERS IN ILLINOIS IS PRESENTED. PROBLEMS IN THE QUALITY AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE PROVIDED.
Abstract
CRITICISMS OF THE KNOX STUDY OF MANPOWER SERVICES INCLUDE A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS WHICH IS MENTIONED, BUT ITS DESIGN IS NOT DESCRIBED, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM OF MANPOWER SERVICES FOR OFFENDERS CANNOT BE DETERMINED WITHOUT A CONTROL GROUP, THERE IS NOT CONTROL GROUP FOR STUDYING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRISON TRAINING; AND THE STUDY DESIGN SAYS IT WILL DEVELOP PREDICTION EQUATIONS FOR SUCCESS AND FAILURE ON PAROLE BUT THE METHOD FOR DOING THIS IS ONLY VAGUELY DESCRIBED. THE CRITIQUE FOCUSSES ON THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS AND THE USE OF A CONTROL GROUP. IT IS FELT THAT THE CONTROL GROUP IN THE KNOX STUDY IS NOT ADEQUATE AND THAT THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS IS BASED ENTIRELY ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE CONTROL GROUP WAS ADEQUATE. THE RESULTS OF THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, THEREFORE, ARE MEANINGLESS. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS ARE CALCULATION OF THE BENEFIT OF AVERTED CORRECTIONAL COSTS BASED ON THE CALCULATION OF RECIDIVISM IN THE OFFENDER GROUP AND THE CONTROL GROUP; EVEN IF THE ESTIMATE OF TAX BENEFITS AND CORRECTIONAL COSTS IS REASONABLY ACCURATE, IT IS NOT PROPERLY CALCULATED; AND AVERTED CORRECTIONAL COSTS ARE NOT CALCULATED USING THE SAME SAMPLE THAT IS USED TO ESTIMATE RECIDIVISM. THESE PROBLEMS INVALIDATE CONCLUSIONS DERIVED FROM THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. APPENDIXES PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON PROBLEMS IN THE METHODOLOGY OF THE KNOX STUDY. (DEP)