NCJ Number
65961
Date Published
1979
Length
24 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT ASSESSES THE PROGRAM EVALUATION SECTION (PES) OF THE WISCONSIN COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE (WCCJ) DURING FISCAL YEAR 1979.
Abstract
THE ASSESSMENT WAS BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH WCCJ OFFICIALS, A RANDOM SAMPLE SURVEY OF 34 DIRECTORS OF EVALUATED PROJECTS, A SURVEY OF OTHER STATES' CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AGENCIES, AND SITE VISITS. SURVEY RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED FROM 79 PERCENT OF THE PROJECT DIRECTORS AND FROM 30 STATE PLANNING AGENCIES. RESULTS INDICATED THAT PES WILL MEET ITS GOALS FOR EVALUATIONS AND MONITORING REPORTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1979. PES HAS ALSO TAKEN PART IN DEVELOPING WCCJ'S ANNUAL ACTION PLANS, BUT ITS REPORTS HAVE BEEN ONLY MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT IN INFLUENCING WCCJ DECISIONS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUES. PES HAS ESTABLISHED CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FOR ANALYSIS, BUT THE CRITERIA PERMIT IMPRECISION. PES IS EFFECTIVELY MANAGED, BUT ANNUAL FUNDING PROCESSES AND THE SCHEDULING OF EVALUATION STUDIES LIMIT SOME OF ITS REPORTS' EFFECTIVENESS. INHOUSE EVALUATIONS WERE RANKED MORE POSITIVELY BY DIRECTORS OF EVALUATED PROJECTS THAN WERE CONSULTANTS' EVALUATIONS. WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA HAVE THE LARGEST EVALUATION STAFFS OF THE STATES SURVEYED. ABOUT HALF THE STATES HAVE SEPARATE EVALUATION UNITS; HALF COMBINE EVALUATION AND PLANNING UNITS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT (1) THE EVALUATION FUNCTION IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO AN AGENCY SUCH AS WCCJ; (2) INHOUSE STAFF CAPACITY FOR EVALUATION IS IMPORTANT; (3) BECAUSE OF VARIOUS FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS, EVALUATION REPORTS' IMPACT ON WCCJ OPERATIONS HAS BEEN MIXED; AND (4) SOME PES RESOURCES SHOULD BE USED TO CONDUCT LONG-RANGE STUDIES ON CENTRAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. STUDY INSTRUMENTS AND RELATED COVER LETTERS ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)