NCJ Number
13759
Journal
Criminology Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1974) Pages: 462-482
Date Published
1974
Length
21 pages
Annotation
AN APPROACH TO CONCEPTUALIZING CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AND A SIMPLIFIED TERMINOLOGY FOR SUCH PLANNING.
Abstract
CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAY BE VIEWED AS A SYSTEM WHICH FLOWS GENERALLY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGH PROSECUTION, THE JUDICIARY, AND CORRECTIONS AND INCLUDES A MULTIPLICITY OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS, FACILITIES, AND PERSONNEL. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS INTERRELATED WITH OTHER SYSTEMS OUTSIDE THE GENERAL AREA OF CRIME AND ITS CONTROL. A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY BE PORTRAYED BY A SERIES OF SYSTEM FLOWCHARTS. SUCH ILLUSTRATIVE DEVICES PROVIDE A SIMPLE, YET COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THE MANY COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIP AND INTERDEPENDENCE. THESE SYSTEM DIAGRAMS SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE FOUR-STEP APPROACH TO SYSTEM DESCRIPTION AND PROGRAM EVALUATION OUTLINED IN THIS PAPER. THE CONSTRUCTION OF SYSTEM CHARTS-DETAILED AND SPECIFIC-WHICH INDICATE THE FLOW OF OFFENDERS THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND IDENTIFY THOSE POINTS WHERE DECISIONS ARE MADE OR ALTERNATIVES ARE CHOSEN, IS THE INITIAL STEP. TO THESE CHARTS ARE APPENDED ACCOUNTING DATA. SYSTEM RATES ARE COMPUTED FROM NUMBERS. THUS, THE BASIC PORTRAIT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM-AT A GIVEN POINT IN TIMEIS A FLOWCHART DEPICTING POSSIBLE MOVEMENT AND ALTERNATIVES, NUMBERS OF OFFENDERS PROCESSED THROUGH THE COMPONENT PARTS OF THE SYSTEM, AND THE SYSTEM RATES FOR ALL COMPONENTS. INASMUCH AS THE PORTRAIT MAY BE REDRAWN FOR THE PAST OR IN THE FUTURE, BROAD COMPARATIVE DATA ARE AVAILABLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE BASIC SYSTEM CHART CONSTRUCTION, AND ALL SUBSEQUENT STEPS AS WELL, MAY BE UTILIZED FOR VARIOUS SUBSYSTEMS OR IDENTIFIABLE GROUPS I.E., RACE, COUNTY, CRIME, AGE, OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF. COHORT STUDIES MAY ALSO BE ACCOMPLISHED USING THE SYSTEM APPROACH DESCRIBED HEREIN. INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ITS SYSTEM RATES PRECEDES AND SUPPORTS A RATIONAL SEARCH FOR RATE DETERMINANTS, I.E., THE VARIABLES WHICH INDIVIDUALLY EFFECT AND COLLECTIVELY DETERMINE THE SYSTEM RATES. THIS IS THE BASIC PLANNING OPERATION. DESIRED CHANGES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE ENHANCED AND FACILITATED BY INTERVENTIONS UPON THE RATE DETERMINANTS. THAT IS, TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH INTERVENTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE, SYSTEM RATES ARE CHANGED. RECOMPUTATION OF SYSTEM RATES FOLLOWING INTRODUCTION OF THE INTERVENTION INTO THE SYSTEM PROVIDES SOME MEASURE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIVEN INTERVENTION. THE RECOMPUTATION, OF COURSE, PROVIDES A PORTRAIT OF THE NEW SYSTEM, AND THUS REGENERATES THE ENTIRE PROCESS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)