RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION IN THE PAROLE DECISION-MAKING STUDY - SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT 12

• NCJ Number: 13247
• Author(s): J L BECK; S M SINGER
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 32 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-NI-99-0017; NI-71-080
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REVIEW OF PAROLE FILE DATA INDEXING PROCEDURES AND PROBLEMS.

Abstract

THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ON APPROXIMATELY 6,000 CASES AND THE USE OF SUCH DATA FOR PREDICTION OR RISK TABLES REQUIRES THAT SOME MEASURE OF THE RELIABILITY OF THAT DATA BE MADE. ALTHOUGH THE VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION FOUND IN FEDERAL PRISON INMATES' FILES COULD NOT BE DETERMINED, PROCEDURES FOR UNIFORM INTERPRETATION AND CODING OF THAT INFORMATION WERE DEFINED. COLLECTION OF A RELIABILITY SAMPLE PROVIDED A MEASURE OF THE DEGREE OF AGREEMENT AMONG CODING STAFF. THE PROCEDURE ALSO UNCOVERED AREAS OF CODING DIFFICULTY AND SERVED AS A TRAINING DEVICE FOR NEW STAFF. TWO SEPARATE RELIABILITY STUDIES ARE COMPARED IN THIS REPORT. SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEASURES OF AGREEMENT ARE PRESENTED AND POSSIBLE EXPLANATION OF SOME LOW SCORES IS GIVEN. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 'CODERS' ATTITUDES AND RELIABILITY IS EXPLORED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)