Beginning of Exam 2 Material Implementation Evaluation An evaluation of whether the necessary services are being delivered to the intended targets Important that services are delivered in a high quality manner Important that services are delivered in a way that addresses the needs and underlying theory of the problem Services should be provided to certain populations that have more needs the problem is worst Services should be directed at addressing the causes of the problem based on theory Dimensions of an Implementation Evaluation Planned delivery of services Rehabilitation Punishment Operations Types of treatment staff training varying degrees of community supervision probation and parole Arrests sentencing and other sanctioning e g solitary con nement Quality of service provided to the target population Judicial discretion community supervision discretion one on one treatment meetings Performance Monitoring The process of continually conducting implementation evaluations as long as the policy is in place Performance monitoring can help make sure services continue to be provided in a high quality manner Assessing Policy Performance In order to effectively evaluate the performance of a policy there needs to be guidelines These guidelines should be Consistent Transparent Speci c Conducting an Implementation Evaluation Critical to have a clear de nition of the needs and theory of a problem If not we won t know what to measure or what we are looking for Can look to theory and past research for guidance How are we to know if a policy is effective ineffective or in between Theory formation Exploratory research Theory validation Empirical research Theory Reality Make sure that you have a good idea about what is going to be required from the policy to impact the problem First have a solid theory evaluation Second make sure systematic evaluations are conducted to monitor the implementation of the policy and keep important service providers accountable Third choose which measures will serve to assess how well a policy is being implemented Are we interested in evaluating planned services or operations Maybe we want to evaluate both The Importance of an Implementation Evaluation First a good implementation evaluation will help provide the criteria or standard for how a policy should be implemented As a result information gathered from implementation can help improve implementation efforts Second well done implementation evaluations can help keep service providers or other agencies accountable Help identify who and what is the weakest link In the long run this may make or break a policy Third good implementation evaluations can be used to measure whether or not the policy actually has an effect on the problem This information will be important when conducting outcome and impact evaluations Also help avoid labeling a policy ineffective too quickly Policies may have more long term than short term effects depending on the type of services provided Are Current CJ Policies Implemented Well Little is known about how well mainstream CJ policies are implemented A major reason for this is because several decision makers are involved in CJ process Judges Lawyers Correctional staff Probation of cers Parole of cers Key Points to Remember Implementation Evaluations Can help design an intended policy Create ways to make sure the policy is implemented accordingly Create assessments to keep service providers accountable and Inform impact evaluations Prisoner Reentry All activities and programming conducted to prepare ex convicts to return safely to the community and to live as law abiding citizens Joan Petersilia 2003 Based on this de nition reentry could be based on Time spent during con nement Time after con nement Program participation or support inmates receive when they are released Treatment program participation Important component was addressing individual offender differences e g race sex age IQ Static Risk Dynamic Needs Treatment Matching Services Controls Improved Outcomes Canadian Model Research by Andrews and Bonta 1998 uncovered that cognitive behavioral therapy produced reductions in recidivism U S Model Over 700 000 offenders are released every year in the U S Fortunately the federal government has invested a considerable amount of money to develop new reentry programs However many of these programs have not been evaluated Focuses more on environmental in uences that may increase the likelihood of recidivism Employment opportunities Deviant peers Lack of social support Negative family in uences Over 100 000 000 between 2001 and 2004 Petersilia 2004 Ideal Model for Reentry Programming Canadian Model U S Model Needs for Prisoner Reentry High recidivism rates Reduce the frequency of recidivism Decrease the prisoner population Unaddressed offender problems when released Mental health aggression poor cognitive skills etc This in turn may impact the offender s welfare and the welfare of others May also effect the welfare of the communities offenders return to Theory for Prisoner Reentry Programs Social support theory Provide inmates with tools to Gain employment Deal with mental health issues Deal with physical health issues Avoid reoffending Become self suf cient Implementation of Prisoner Reentry Programs Visitation Life Skills programs Employment workshops Educational programs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Beginning in prison Programs that offer offenders support for when they are released and reenter society Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Community supervision Substance abuse programs Training school communities Tailored to individual needs Outcome Evaluation of Prisoner Reentry Programs Visitation Life Skills Programs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT Business Training Schools Inmates are visited more frequently over the course of their sentence are less likely to recidivate Evidence indicates that offenders who attend these programs before release are less likely to recidivate Evaluation research suggests that these programs help offender deal with antisocial and mental health problems These effects may reduce the risk for recidivism Limited amount of evidence but so far looks promising for being able to reduce the risk of recidivism among repeat offenders Cost Ef ciency of Prisoner Reentry Programs Cost Ef cient Programs Visitation Unknown Cost Ef ciency Programs CBT Life Skills Programs Business School Training Important Time for Prisoner Reentry Initiatives Project 180 Helped thousands of