National Assessment Program: 1994 survey results.Approximately every 3 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time National Assessment Program (NAP (1) See network access protection. (2) (Network Access Point) The first public Internet exchange points (IXPs). Established by the National Science Foundation in the early 1990s, they were set up to provide a standard way to exchange packets for ) conducts a survey to identify the most pressing needs and problems faced by the various components of the criminal justice system at the State and local levels. By identifying what agencies confront on a day-to-day basis, the survey can provide direction in developing programs and strategies to respond to their problems. The National Assessment Program is a major part of an ongoing dialogue between the National Institute of Justice and the criminal justice community. More than 2,500 officials in the criminal justice community participated in the 1994 NAP survey. This research forum summarizes the survey findings.(1) SURVEY PARTICIPANTS Representatives of virtually every component of the State and local criminal justice system took part in the survey. At the local level, the questionnaire was sent to police chiefs, sheriffs, jail administrators, prosecutors, public defenders public defender, governmental official who represents indigent persons accused of crime. U.S. Supreme Court decisions expanding the right to counsel to pretrial proceedings and holding that a person cannot be sentenced to even one day in jail unless a lawyer was , judges, trial court administrators, and probation and parole parole (pərōl`), in criminal law, release from prison of a convict before the expiration of his term on condition that his activities be restricted and that he report regularly to an officer. directors. At the State level, attorneys general, commissioners of corrections, State court administrators, probation and parole directors, and prison wardens were queried. The sample encompassed all 50 States and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). . Within the States, researchers chose a random sample of 411 counties, including 211 counties with populations greater than 250,000 and 200 counties with populations of 50,000 to 250,000. The police chiefs were selected by identifying the city in each county with the highest population. QUESTIONS ASKED Researchers tailored survey questions to match the specific responsibilities of the various kinds of agencies. Thus, jail administrators were asked about such issues as crowding and inmates' medical needs, whereas prosecutors, judges, and trial court administrators were asked about sentencing alternatives and pretrial pre·tri·al n. A proceeding held before an official trial, especially to clarify points of law and facts. adj. 1. Of or relating to a pretrial. 2. practices. Questions on staffing and training needs were common to all types of agencies. The survey focused on three major areas of inquiry-workload problems, staffing, and operations and procedures. Respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. were asked to indicate the extent to which particular issues contributed to workload problems. For example, with regard to specific violent crimes, such as child abuse or domestic violence, the survey participants were asked whether their agencies have been able to handle the workload adequately. In addition, respondents were asked about solutions to the problems identified. They indicated what approaches they now take to handle specific problems and whether they believed these approaches need improvement. Throughout the survey, open-ended questions A closed-ended question is a form of question, which normally can be answered with a simple "yes/no" dichotomous question, a specific simple piece of information, or a selection from multiple choices (multiple-choice question), if one excludes such non-answer responses as dodging a enabled respondents to comment on details of their problems and needs and to describe their own experiences. The comments complemented and enhanced the quantitative results by providing insight from the respondents on the reasons for the workload problems. PROBLEMS CITED CITED Copyright in Transmitted Electronic Documents CITEd Center for Implementing Technology in Education The views of the survey participants mirror those of most Americans. The themes of violence, drugs, and firearms This is an extensive list of small arms — pistol, machine gun, grenade launcher, anti-tank rifle — that includes variants. : Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
Violent Crime More than 65 percent of respondents indicated that cases involving violence caused problems in workload management. Police chiefs and sheriffs indicated domestic violence as the primary concern, while prosecutors ranked child abuse and domestic violence high. Of the jail administrators, more than 80 percent said that arrests for violent crime contributed to crowding in their facilities. They cited only arrests for drug charges as contributing more. By contrast, police chiefs and sheriffs ranked homicide homicide (hŏm`əsīd), in law, the taking of human life. Homicides that are neither justifiable nor excusable are considered crimes. A criminal homicide committed with malice is known as murder, otherwise it is called manslaughter. lowest, although public defenders and judges ranked it high. Carjacking The criminal taking of a motor vehicle from its driver by force, violence, or intimidation. The u.s. justice department categorizes the crime of carjacking as a "completed or attempted Robbery of a motor vehicle by a stranger and asset forfeiture Asset forfeiture is a term used to describe the confiscation of assets, by the State, which are either (a) the proceeds of crime or (b) the instrumentalities of crime. Instrumentalities of crime are property that was used to facilitate crime, for example cars used to transport were cited by relatively few respondents. Drugs Drug-related crime Illegal drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse (such as cocaine, heroin, morphine and amphetamines). caused workload difficulties to an even greater extent than violent crime. More than 80 percent of the respondents noted drug possession and/or drug sales as creating problems for their departments. Drug crime has so dominated police operations in the past few years that large departments, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the survey, have undertaken special measures Special measures is a status applied by Ofsted, the schools inspection agency, to schools in England when it considers that they fail to supply an acceptable level of education and appear to lack the leadership capacity necessary to secure improvements. to respond, including asset forfeiture, buy-busts, directed patrol, Neighborhood Watch, and drug units. Whereas the police and sheriffs focus on enforcement aimed at drug crime, other surveyed agencies are involved more directly in treatment. Most of them offer treatment as an alternative sanction sanction, in law and ethics, any inducement to individuals or groups to follow or refrain from following a particular course of conduct. All societies impose sanctions on their members in order to encourage approved behavior. for offenders. However, at least 80 percent of these respondents indicated that improvements were needed in treatment services. Ninety-three percent of probation and parole agency directors surveyed reported having drug testing programs for offenders under community supervision. However, the value of these testing programs received mixed reviews. Some thought these programs effectively discouraged dis·cour·age tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es 1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit. 2. To hamper by discouraging; deter. 3. illicit drug illicit drug Street drug, see there use and provided a useful supervision tool; others thought they took too much time and were relied on too heavily for validating val·i·date tr.v. val·i·dat·ed, val·i·dat·ing, val·i·dates 1. To declare or make legally valid. 2. To mark with an indication of official sanction. 3. good behavior Orderly and lawful action; conduct that is deemed proper for a peaceful and law-abiding individual. The definition of good behavior depends upon how the phrase is used. . Firearms More than 80 percent of police chiefs and sheriffs said crimes committed with a firearm firearm, device consisting essentially of a straight tube to propel shot, shell, or bullets by the explosion of gunpowder. Although the Chinese discovered gunpowder as early as the 9th cent., they did not develop firearms until the mid-14th cent. contributed to their workload problems. They particularly were concerned about the availability of firearms to juveniles. Initiatives for addressing the problem of firearms included gun turn-ins and buy-backs. Thirty-seven percent of the police chiefs surveyed said they participated in these programs, and an equal percentage would like to see such programs in their jurisdictions. Among those departments with gun turn-ins or buy-backs, the majority were satisfied with the results. Overall, the views on these programs were mixed, with the most favorable fa·vor·a·ble adj. 1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds. 2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis. 3. comments coming from urban areas and the most unfavorable comments from suburban and rural communities. RESPONSES TO CRIME The survey respondents also noted what they were doing to address the problems identified and whether they believed the response was adequate. Community policing and youth programs were the initiatives most cited. Community Policing Police chiefs and sheriffs cited community policing most frequently as their approach to deter crime. Most of those who have not adopted community policing indicated that they want to do so. The most common community policing components were foot patrols, special units, and neighborhood substations. Police chiefs and sheriffs cited a number of reasons for shifting away from the traditional policing model, including the desire to improve neighborhood quality of life, involve citizens in crime-fighting (especially against drugs), and undertake a more concerted effort at crime prevention. Staffing presents a challenge, and some respondents noted the need for more officers to expand community policing efforts. Violent Crimes Contributing to Workload Problems Percentages indicate the number of respondents who believe the listed crimes contributed to workload problems.
Police Sheriffs Prosecutors Public Judges
Chiefs Defenders
Assault 98% 95% 79% 74% 70% Child Abuse 91% 94% 92% 82% 79% Domestic Violence 99% 97% 91% 83% 85% Homicide 69% 65% 88% 86% 84% Rape 77% 74% 88% 79% 75% Training needs tempered the enthusiasm for community policing. Eighty-three percent of the police chiefs and sheriffs who had community policing programs said training should be improved. An obstacle to training included making time available; others noted the difficulty in selling the new approach. Youth Programs Efforts to deter young people from crime, including drug- and gang-related crime, ranked high on the agendas of police chiefs, sheriffs, and other responding officials. Schools represented the focal point focal point n. See focus. for these efforts, to include school resource officers, Adopt-A-School programs, and D.A.R.E. programs. Almost three-fourths of the police chiefs had programs for at-risk youths, and most others would like to see them established. Considerably fewer sheriff's departments (53 percent) had these programs, but the vast majority who did not have them indicated an interest in them. One of the greatest needs, expressed by police chiefs and sheriffs alike, was to prevent juveniles from obtaining guns. Eighty-five percent of the police chiefs said existing methods needed to be improved, and a large percentage indicated that their jurisdictions lacked any method to prevent juveniles from obtaining firearms. GANGS AND GANG-RELATED CRIME Gangs and gang-related challenge not only the police and sheriffs but also prosecutors and corrections administrators. The survey revealed that gang-related crime is a problem in the vast majority of large jurisdictions, and it is becoming a growing concern in less-populated areas. Among police chiefs in jurisdictions with more than 250,000 residents, 73 percent said gang-related crime contributed to workload problems. By comparison, 55 percent of the police in medium-sized jurisdictions (those with populations between 100,000 and 250,000) and 45 percent in smaller jurisdictions (those with populations of 100,000 or fewer) said they were experiencing the problem. Not only was gang-related crime reported to be extensive, but it appeared to be growing. Police and sheriffs generally take a two-pronged approach to gang crime enforcement and prevention through education. Enforcement may include the establishment of gang task forces or special gang units. One jurisdiction disbanded its traffic unit and converted it to a gang unit. Prevention often focuses on the schools. Specific tactics include the use of school resource officers or implementation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training Gang Resistance Education And Training provides a school-based, officer instructed program that includes classroom instruction and various learning activities, the use of law enforcement officers having several advantages. (GREAT) and D.A.R.E. programs. The prosecution of gang-related crime has been a particular challenge in large jurisdictions, where 58 percent of the prosecutors surveyed said this type of crime was adding to their workload problems. In contrast, 33 percent of prosecutors in small jurisdictions cited gang-related crime as contributing to their workload problems. Prosecutors said fear of retaliation RETALIATION. The act by which a nation or individual treats another in the same manner that the latter has treated them. For example, if a nation should lay a very heavy tariff on American goods, the United States would be justified in return in laying heavy duties on the manufactures and against potential witnesses was a major inhibiting factor in prosecuting gang crime. The presence of gangs in correctional facilities raises the issues of classification and staff training among jail administrators and prison wardens. In correctional facilities that have gangs, administrators need classification procedures to identify gang members accurately and training to prepare staff to deal with this type of inmate INMATE. One who dwells in a part of another's house, the latter dwelling, at the same time, in the said house. Kitch. 45, b; Com. Dig. Justices of the Peace, B 85; 1 B. & Cr. 578; 8 E. C. L. R. 153; 2 Dowl. & Ry. 743; 8 B. & Cr. 71; 15 E. C. L. R. 154; 2 Man. & Ry. 227; 9 B. & Cr. . In addition, gangs appear to pose a more serious problem in prisons than jails because of the longer period of incarceration Confinement in a jail or prison; imprisonment. Police officers and other law enforcement officers are authorized by federal, state, and local lawmakers to arrest and confine persons suspected of crimes. The judicial system is authorized to confine persons convicted of crimes. . Wardens said gangs generally exacerbate overcrowding overcrowding overcrowding of animal accommodation. Many countries now publish codes of practice which define what the appropriate volumetric allowances should be for each species of animal when they are housed indoors. Breaches of these codes is overcrowding. problems because they often must be segregated. JAIL AND PRISON CROWDING The familiar story of crowded conditions in jails has changed somewhat, mainly due to increased construction. While the number of jail admissions has increased in recent years, so did the capital budget for jails, which more than doubled, to permit additional bed spaces. Imposition of maximum capacity limits, as well as weekend sentencing and alternative sanctions Sanctions is the plural of sanction. Depending on context, a sanction can be either a punishment or a permission. The word is a contronym. Sanctions involving countries: Still, 35 percent of the jail administrators admitted that crowding continued in their facilities. They cited the main reasons as drug offenses, violent crime, probation and parole violations, length of sentences, and jail incarceration of convicted felons who otherwise would have been sent to prison. Of the prison wardens who responded to the survey, 37 percent reported crowded conditions. Their reasons included drug crime (reported by 88 percent of the wardens), violent crime, longer sentences, parole violations, and insufficient alternative sanctions. ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION When asked about the availability in their jurisdictions of several alternatives to incarceration, respondents cited work-release centers as the most common, followed by electronic monitoring, boot camps Software from Apple that enables an Intel x86-based Macintosh to host the Windows XP operating system. Boot Camp is used to divide the hard disk into Windows and Mac partitions, to install the necessary drivers and to create a dual boot environment. , and day-reporting centers (the least common alternative). Among prosecutors, 92 percent said their jurisdictions have work-release centers, 84 percent have electronic monitoring, and 71 percent have boot camps, but only 48 percent have day-reporting centers. Public defenders felt more strongly than others about the need to improve available options to incarceration. Probation and parole agency directors were less likely than other groups to want any of these alternatives in their jurisdictions. Their comments suggested resistance may be due to the potential for additional work for their agencies, which they said were already overburdened o·ver·bur·den tr.v. o·ver·bur·dened, o·ver·bur·den·ing, o·ver·bur·dens 1. To burden with too much weight; overload. 2. To subject to an excessive burden or strain; overtax. n. 1. . A relatively high percentage of the respondents said they did not want boot camps. More probation and parole agency directors were unreceptive to boot camps than to other types of sanctions because they were not fully convinced of the camps' effectiveness and because they were concerned about the amount of time needed to manage the camps. Judges and trial court administrators expressed more favorable opinions about boot camps, although some harbored reservations. Over 90 percent of each respondent In Equity practice, the party who answers a bill or other proceeding in equity. The party against whom an appeal or motion, an application for a court order, is instituted and who is required to answer in order to protect his or her interests. group, except probation and parole directors, said work-release centers were an option available in their jurisdictions. Probation and parole agency directors were less receptive receptive /re·cep·tive/ (re-cep´tiv) capable of receiving or of responding to a stimulus. to work-release centers than other respondents; almost one-third said they did not want or need them. Need for Bilingual Officers The percentages add to less than 100 because some respondents indicated "not applicable" on the questionnaire. These respondents represented communities with small minority populations and, therefore, did not feel bilingual officers were needed.
Major Increase Some Increase No Increase
Needed Needed Needed
Police Chiefs 24.5% 55.6% 13.0% Sheriffs 23.8% 50.8% 15.0% Electronic monitoring followed only work-release centers as the most frequently employed alternative to prison or routine probations. More than one-half of the respondents in each category said their jurisdictions had this type of program. EMERGING ISSUES Several issues that have begun to attract the attention of criminal justice professionals came to light in the survey. These issues center on specific segments of the victim and criminal populations with particular needs. Cultural Diversity Police chiefs and sheriffs expressed concern about how to develop initiatives to work with diverse groups, particularly where language barriers exist. The differences between the cultural composition of the community and the police force were cited as barriers between police and residents. The specific strategies for working with culturally diverse communities were fairly wide-ranging. The most common strategies involved recruiting officers from culturally diverse backgrounds, recruiting bilingual bi·lin·gual adj. 1. a. Using or able to use two languages, especially with equal or nearly equal fluency. b. officers, training field staff to communicate with people whose backgrounds differ from their own, and offering foreign language training. In some States, cultural diversity training is mandated by law. Offenders with Mental Illness When respondents were asked about meeting the needs of the mentally ill offenders in the criminal justice system, their answers suggested a certain ambivalence ambivalence (ămbĭv`ələns), coexistence of two opposing drives, desires, feelings, or emotions toward the same person, object, or goal. The ambivalent person may be unaware of either of the opposing wishes. . Several perceived a shift in responsibility from the mental health community to the criminal justice system. Others cited their own sense of responsibility for providing mental health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract to inmates. Compared to other possible problem areas identified in the survey, the issue of the mentally ill offenders was noted as contributing only moderately to workload problems. The comments of sheriffs and police chiefs tended to focus on the perceived failure of mental health agencies to fulfill ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. their obligations. Crimes Against the Elderly High percentages of police and sheriff's departments (88 percent and 77 percent, respectively) adopted measures to prevent fraud against the elderly. At the same time, both groups believed more could be done, particularly given the unique needs of older citizens. Prevention programs center on education, with typical approaches including distribution of crime prevention information and speeches at Neighborhood Watch meetings and senior citizens associations. Departments also use the media to caution against flimflam flim·flam Informal n. 1. Nonsense; humbug. 2. A deception; a swindle. tr.v. flim·flammed, flim·flam·ming, flim·flams To swindle; cheat. groups active in their areas. Information Systems Overall, needs were greater in information systems than in any other area explored in the survey. For almost every task or application, the majority of respondents said their systems needed improvement. Among police chiefs and sheriffs, applications of greatest interest were expert systems, systems to support problem solving problem solving Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. , and court disposition information. Jail administrators and wardens expressed interest in systems for automating inmate medical and mental health records, court information, and inmate programs. Prosecutors, judges, and trial court administrators cited information systems to alleviate attorney scheduling conflicts as a priority. CONCLUSION The 1994 NAP survey revealed a number of findings that offer particular insight from those on the front lines of crime and justice. In reviewing these findings, criminal justice professionals should find it useful to compare the solutions they have devised with those of other jurisdictions, to identify the extent to which a particular solution has been adopted, and to assess the extent to which the results have been found satisfactory. Their insight, in turn, can be used to refine and shape individual approaches to addressing criminal activity. Endnote See footnote. Because the survey process began in 1993, the results reflect figures for 1992, the most recent year for which complete information was available to the respondents. RELATED ARTICLE: Research and Evaluation Priorities Respondents indicated the areas that they viewed as priorities for future research and evaluation. These tended to vary by respondents categories and to reflect the specific responsibilities of a given group. The top three priority areas are listed. Four areas represent a tie. Local Criminal Justice Agencies Police Chiefs Community Policing Juvenile Crime Violent Crime Sheriffs Community Policing Drugs Juvenile Crime Jail Administrators Alternative Sanctions Classification Drug Program Mentally Ill Prosecutors Alternative Sanctions Juvenile Crime Violent Crime Judges Alternative Sanctions Court Security Drug Cases Case Management Trial Court Administrators Case Management Alternative Sanctions Court Security Public Defenders Alternative Sanctions Mandatory Sentences Death Penalty Probation and Parole Agency Directors Alternative Sanctions Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs Sex Offenders sex offender n. generic term for all persons convicted of crimes involving sex, including rape, molestation, sexual harassment and pornography production or distribution. State Criminal Justice Agencies Wardens Recidivism recidivism: see criminology. Gangs Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs Alternative Sanctions State Commissioners of Corrections Alternative Sanctions Recidivism Sex Offender Treatment State Attorneys General Inmate Litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. Computer and Telemarketing Fraud Telemarketing fraud is fraudulent selling conducted over the phone. It most often targets the poor and elderly. Common types include:
State Court Administrators Case Management Automation Court Organizational Alternatives State Probation and Parole Agency Directors Sex Offenders Recidivism Alternative Sanctions |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion