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PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM - FOUR CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES

NCJ Number
36425
Author(s)
A BLUMSTEIN; S DEUTSCH; R LARSON; R LIND
Date Published
1976
Length
400 pages
Annotation
THESE FOUR WORKING PAPERS PRESENT RESEARCH DESIGNS FOR SYSTEM-WIDE DATA ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT FOR EVALUATION.
Abstract
IN THE FIRST PAPER, 'PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM,' THE MEASUREMENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE IS DERIVED FROM AN INITIAL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE TOTAL SOCIAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH CRIME AND CRIME CONTROL AND THE NET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE SECOND PAPER, 'A CONCEPTUAL BASIS FOR EFFECTIVENESS MEASUREMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES,' ATTEMPTS TO DEMONSTRATE A LOGICAL AND SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO DETERMINE A METHODOLOGY OR FAMILY OF METHODOLOGIES FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND TO SUGGEST WHICH TOPIC AREAS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN ORDER TO HAVE EVALUATIVE PROCESSES YIELD 'EMPIRICAL TRUTHS.' 'PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR EVALUATION OF LEAA AND CJS PROGRAMS,' ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM OF CJS AND LEAA EVALUATION FROM PRIMARILY THREE POINTS OF VIEW - SYSTEM-LEVEL AGGREGATE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM STATISTICS, AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR EVALUATION. THE LAST PAPER, 'A PROGRAM OF RESEARCH ON PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM,' FOCUSES ON EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT AS A TECHNICAL TOOL FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION. THESE PAPERS WERE DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR THE USE OF THE STAFF OF THE OFFICE OF EVALUATION OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. FOR INDIVUDUAL COPIES OF THE FIRST THREE PAPERS, SEE NCJ-035288, 87, AND 89 RESPECTIVELY.