SURVEY OF STUDENT AND AGENCY VIEWS ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

• NCJ Number: 50844
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 345-354
• Author(s): D M BARRY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Illinois Law Enforcement Cmssn (see Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority)
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO SURVEY THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION. COURT AND CORRECTIONS PERSONNEL REPORTED MORE SALARY AND PROMOTION BENEFITS THAN DID POLICE PERSONNEL.

Abstract

QUESTIONNAIRES WERE MAILED TO 4,000 PAST AND PRESENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS FROM 25 PARTICIPATING ILLINOIS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. OF THESE, 1,975 WERE RETURNED, 1,274 FROM FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD. IT IS THESE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE RESPONSES WHICH ARE ANALYZED. IN ADDITION, INDEPTH INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 67 STUDENTS AND A SELECTED SAMPLE OF 80 SUPERVISORS IN ILLINOIS POLICE, COURT, AND CORRECTIONS AGENCIES. THE QUESTIONNAIRE COVERED PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION ON SALARY, OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION, AND JOB PERFORMANCE. THE AGENCIES WERE ASKED ABOUT JOB PERFORMANCE AND THE VALUE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION. PERSONS WORKING IN CORRECTIONS, AS RESEARCHERS, OR IN COURT-RELATED JOBS REPORTED THE GREATEST BENEFIT. A THIRD OF EACH CATEGORY REPORTED IMPROVED SALARY LEVEL, A THIRD OF THE CORRECTIONS GROUP AND HALF OF THE RESEARCHERS AND 'OTHER' GROUP REPORTED IMPROVED CHANCES FOR PROMOTION, AND MORE THAN HALF OF ALL THESE GROUPS REPORTED IMPROVED JOB PERFORMANCE. POLICE OFFICERS SAW LESS IMMEDIATE BENEFIT: 64 PERCENT SAID IT HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON SALARY, AND 50 PERCENT SAID IT HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON CHANCES FOR PROMOTION. HOWEVER, 67 PERCENT OF THE POLICE OFFICERS SAID IT IMPROVED JOB PERFORMANCE. THE AGENCIES GENERALLY FELT THAT JOB PERFORMANCE DEPENDED MORE UPON THE PERSON THAN THE DEGREE OF EDUCATION; ALTHOUGH THEY SUPPORTED SUCH EDUCATION, THE SUPPORT WAS QUALIFIED. WEAKNESSES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION ARE POINTED OUT; THESE ARE PRIMARILY INSUFFICIENT FIELD WORK AND POOR COORDINATION WITH AGENCIES. TABLES AND NARRATIVE SUMMARY ANALYZE THE SURVEY RESULTS IN DETAIL. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT IS NOT INCLUDED. FOOTNOTES CONTAIN REFERENCES. (GLR)