SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE IOWA TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME (TASC), FEBRUARY 1978

• NCJ Number: 46882
• Author(s): C M PALMER; G A KRAFT; J D SMELTZER; W M THEISEN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 255 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Alcohol and Drug Abuse Srvcs, Inc
• Corporate Author: United Way of Greater Des Moines
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EVALUATION IS UNDERTAKEN OF A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY, DIAGNOSE, REFER, AND MONITOR THE TREATMENT OF DRUG ABUSERS WHO INTERACT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Abstract

THE SECOND YEAR OF OPERATION OF THE IOWA TASC IS APPRAISED, INCLUDING AN INDICATION OF THE STATUS OF FIRST-YEAR CLIENTS FOLLOWING THEIR EXPERIENCE IN TASC. TASC PROJECTS ARE EXPECTED TO IDENTIFY DRUG-ABUSING CRIMINAL JUSTICE OFFENDERS AS PROCESSED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, REFER THEM TO TREATMENT, AND MONITOR THEIR PROGRESS. THIS EVALUATION CONSISTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE REFERRAL NETWORK, A SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF CLIENT FLOW, ASSESSMENT OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TASC, ANALYSIS OF TASC'S INTEGRATION WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND A MANAGERIAL ASSESSMENT. IN DETERMINING THE CHARACTER OF TASC'S INTERACTION WITH BOTH CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND TREATMENT AGENCIES, PERSONNEL FROM EACH WERE INTERVIEWED REGARDING THEIR INTERACTION WITH TASC. THE EXTENT TO WHICH TASC HAS EFFECTIVELY STRUCTURED RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES WAS MEASURED BY THE 'INTENSITY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS' SURVEY. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROFILE ON THE STATUS OF FIRST-YEAR CLIENTS EMPHASIZED CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT, REDUCED DRUG USAGE, RECIDIVISM PATTERNS, AND EDUCATIONAL UPGRADING. A 30-PERCENT SAMPLE OF THE FIRST-YEAR CLIENT POPULATION WAS CHOSEN. A 'CLIENT FOLLOW-UP DATA FORM' CONSISTING OF 114 ITEMS WAS EMPLOYED TO COLLECT DATA, WITH THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF DATA BEING TASC RECORDS. AN ANALYSIS OF SECOND-YEAR CLIENTS WAS ALSO CONDUCTED USING SHORT-TERM MEASUREMENTS. THREE INSTRUMENTS WERE EMPLOYED TO DETERMINE PERCEPTIONS OF MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS, AND INTRASYSTEM WORK CLIMATE. FINDING THE USE OF TASC BY BOTH ENFORCEMENT AND COURT PERSONNEL TO BE DISPROPORTIONATELY LOW, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CERTAIN STEPS BE TAKEN TO INCREASE THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF COMMUNICATIONS BY TASC TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM PERSONNEL. A CLIENT SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TASC COULD NOT BE DONE ADEQUATELY DUE TO THE INCOMPLETE NATURE OF TASC RECORDS AND THE ORIENTATION OF THE RECORDS TOWARD TREATMENT ACTIVITIES AND AWAY FROM A FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE OUTCOME OF CLIENTS. RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS AREA, THEREFORE, CENTER ON IMPROVED DATA-RECORDING PROCEDURES. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MANAGEMENT STYLE OF TASC FAILED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE CONSENSUAL ESTABLISHMENT OF DEFINED WORKING RELATIONSHIPS IN INTER- AND INTRAORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONING. THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE EVALUATION ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIXES, AND TABLES OF DATA ARE PRESENTED IN THE BODY OF THE TEXT. (RCB)