American Criminal Justice Policy: An Evaluation Approach to Increasing Accountability and Effectiveness

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 11
The Problem......Page 15
The Goals of This Book......Page 17
Organization of This Book......Page 18
2 Irrational Criminal Justice Policy......Page 21
The Evaluation Hierarchy and the Irrationality of Criminal Justice Policy......Page 22
Crime Rates......Page 26
Correctional System Growth......Page 28
Prisoner Reentry......Page 29
Criminal Justice Expenditures......Page 31
Evidence for Current Criminal Justice Policies......Page 32
Politicization of Crime......Page 34
False Dichotomies......Page 36
Swings from One Extreme to Another......Page 37
Bad Cases Make for Bad Policies......Page 38
Symbolic Gestures......Page 39
Public Opinion and Policy Makers’ Misunderstanding of It......Page 40
Belief in “Silver Bullet” Causes and Solutions to Crime......Page 42
Limited Production of Policy Research......Page 43
Conclusion......Page 47
Discussion Questions......Page 48
History of Evaluation Research......Page 49
Evaluation Research Defined......Page 50
The Evaluation Hierarchy......Page 51
Evaluation as a Way to Increase Accountability and Evidence-Based Policy......Page 55
Evaluation Research versus Performance Monitoring......Page 57
Benefits of Evaluation Research......Page 58
The Art of Conducting Evaluation Research......Page 61
Conclusion......Page 63
Discussion Questions......Page 64
4 Needs Evaluations......Page 65
Needs Evaluation: Step 1 in the Hierarchy......Page 66
Defining the Problem: Size, Trends, Location, Causes......Page 67
Determining the Type and Level of Response Needed......Page 74
How to Conduct a Needs Evaluation......Page 80
Why Are Needs Evaluations Important?......Page 81
Mass Incarceration......Page 83
Sex Crime Laws......Page 95
Are Current Criminal Justice Policies Needed?......Page 101
Conclusion......Page 105
Discussion Questions......Page 106
5 Theory Evaluations......Page 107
Theory Evaluation: Step 2 in the Hierarchy......Page 108
Needs Evaluations and Theory Evaluations......Page 109
Theoretical or Causal Logic......Page 110
How to Conduct a Theory Evaluation......Page 120
Criteria for Evaluating the Credibility of Policy Theory......Page 121
Why Are Theory Evaluations Important?......Page 124
Case Studies: Supermax Prisons and Faith-Based Reentry Programs......Page 125
Supermax Prisons......Page 126
Faith-Based Reentry Programs......Page 131
Criminological Theory......Page 135
Weak Theoretical Foundations of Prominent Criminal Justice Policies......Page 136
The Problems with Silver Bullet Policy Strategies......Page 141
Conclusion......Page 143
Discussion Questions......Page 144
6 Implementation Evaluations......Page 145
Implementation Evaluation: Step 3 in the Hierarchy......Page 146
Performance Monitoring and Implementation Evaluations......Page 152
Criteria for Assessing Policy Performance......Page 153
How to Conduct an Implementation Evaluation......Page 155
Why Are Implementation Evaluations Important?......Page 159
Juvenile Transfer......Page 161
Domestic Violence Mandatory Arrest Laws......Page 167
Case Study Illustrations and Other Policies......Page 171
Policy Implementation and Evaluation of It: The Broader Problem......Page 176
Conclusion......Page 178
Discussion Questions......Page 179
7 Outcome Evaluations and Impact Evaluations......Page 181
Outcome and Impact Evaluations: Step 4 in the Hierarchy......Page 183
A Closer Look at Outcomes......Page 185
How to Conduct an Impact Evaluation......Page 188
The Basic Logic: Identifying a Causal Effect......Page 189
Different Methodologies: Experiments and Quasi Experiments......Page 194
Critical Conceptual and Analytical Issues......Page 198
The Importance of Identifying Unintended Effects......Page 200
Experiments Are Not the Only or Best Option......Page 201
Failure to Follow the Evaluation Hierarchy......Page 203
Substitution Bias and Appropriate Comparisons......Page 204
Lack of Sufficient Statistical Power......Page 205
Failure to Illuminate the “Black Box”......Page 206
Solutions......Page 207
Why Are Outcome and Impact Evaluations Important?......Page 209
Drug Courts......Page 210
Gun Laws......Page 213
Are Current Criminal Justice Policies Effective?......Page 216
Conclusion......Page 219
Discussion Questions......Page 220
8 Cost-Efficiency Evaluations......Page 221
Cost-Efficiency Evaluation: Step 5 in the Hierarchy......Page 222
How to Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis......Page 225
2. Identify the Perspective of Analysis......Page 226
3. Identify Costs and Benefits......Page 229
4. Assign Values......Page 231
5. Compare Costs versus Benefits of One or More Policies......Page 232
6. Assess Sensitivity and Articulate Limitations......Page 234
Limitations of Cost-Efficiency Evaluation......Page 237
Why Are Cost-Efficiency Evaluations Important?......Page 239
Community Policing......Page 240
Private Prisons......Page 243
Are Current Criminal Justice Policies Cost Efficient?......Page 246
Conclusion......Page 249
Discussion Questions......Page 250
The Need for More and Better Criminal Justice Evaluation Research......Page 252
Educate and Train Students and Researchers in Evaluation Research......Page 254
Promote Applied Research in University Settings......Page 256
Integrate Applied and Basic Research Efforts......Page 259
Create Ties among Researcher, Policy Maker, and Practitioner Communities......Page 260
Require Use of the Evaluation Hierarchy in Developing and Assessing Policy......Page 262
Institutionalize Evaluation Research into Criminal Justice System Operations......Page 266
Create Independent Criminal Justice Research Agencies......Page 268
Develop a Bank of Knowledge about Effective and Ineffective Policies......Page 269
Discussion Questions......Page 272
1. Introduction......Page 275
2. Irrational Criminal Justice Policy......Page 276
3. A Solution for Improving Criminal Justice Policy: Evaluation Research......Page 279
4. Needs Evaluations......Page 280
5. Theory Evaluations......Page 285
6. Implementation Evaluations......Page 289
7. Outcome Evaluations and Impact Evaluations......Page 292
8. Cost-Efficiency Evaluations......Page 296
9. Conclusion......Page 299
References......Page 303
Index......Page 333