Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management

1. Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management Chapter 15 – Research in Criminal Justice Organizations

2. Learning Objectives • Know the difference between basic and applied research • Understand the ways in which knowledge is utilized by criminal justice organizations • Describe the nature of social science research and knowledge utilization • Describe the limitations of data within criminal justice organizations • Define “In-House Research” and how it can be useful to criminal justice organizations • Know the various ways of conceptualizing and applying knowledge

3. Knowledge for What? • Distinguish between; • Basic research – seeks to understand fundamental issues of process and structure in ways that may not immediately be useful to practitioners. • Applied research – to develop knowledge that is directly useful to practitioners. • The difference lies in the researcher's initial intent. • It is entirely possible to • Apply the results from basic research, and • Use the knowledge from applied research to inform theory.

4. Criminal Justice OrganizationKnowledge Utilization • Lovell (1988) found very little substantive use of research information by practitioners. • Research is more readily used in organizations that • Actively conduct their own research • When management is less crisis oriented • Are less formal, and • Encourage decentralized decision making.

5. The ResearcherKnowledge Utilization • Researchers can encourage the use of research by remaining focused on practitioner needs. • Dissemination should be through ‘approachable’ media and formats. • Practitioners must be convinced of the value of research information. • Researchers and practitioners view the data and results differently.

6. Social Science Research Knowledge Utilization • Researchers should be cautious about influencing public policy. • The available research is limited. • Most of the available research is not definitive enough to authoritatively influence public policy. • The results from single studies, regardless of how definitive they may seem, are not enough to justify wholesale policy change. • Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment • Ceasefire, COMPSTAT and Exile Projects

7. DataKnowledge Utilization • National trend data may not be relevant to local issues. • Survey and summary data cannot be used to determine causality. • Criminal justice data, for the most part, is often inaccurate, incomplete and untimely. • Administrators should have the discipline to seek valid (accurate) and reliable (consistent) measures of social phenomena.

8. In-House Research • The development of the capacity within organizations to address their own data and research needs. • Often exists in separate and stand alone units. • In house research tends to be more readily accepted by practitioners if: • Their research role is well defined, and • The credibility is based on technical expertise rather than position power.

9. Knowledge as Truth • In research, data are often viewed merely as recorded observations. • Research knowledge is both rational and objective. • The use of research knowledge by practitioners may be influenced by • Politics • Budget concerns

10. Knowledge as Power • Because research is considered objective, research results can be used as a ‘weapon’ to • Affect change, or • Cause an agency to adopt a new policy • This sometimes causes managers to discourage research.

11. Knowledge as Understanding • Research can be used to develop deeper understandings of social phenomena. • Normative re-education strategies – impetus for change comes from collaboration rather than research • Action research – using research to effect specific change • Involvement in research tends to encourage the acceptance of its findings.

12. Knowledge and Research Partnerships • In recent years criminal justice organization have entered into cooperative agreements with researchers (e.g. universities) to either create or supplement their capacity to conduct research. • These strategies are helpful if the dynamics of the partnership are well defined.

13. Knowledge and Failure • Research reduces the probability of policy failure, but does not eliminate it. • Failure should not however be considered wholly bad. • Often the most innovative research findings emanate from failures.

14. Knowledge and Failure • Learning from failure • Administrators should be self-reflective. • Define success more broadly • Purely rational solutions are not likely • Modesty can be virtuous. • Politics and criminal justice reform/practice cannot be separated. • Planning in isolation is a mistake. • Program implementation and context matter in criminal justice. • Involving line personnel is essential.

15. Advances in Criminal Justice Research • Three trends • Growing use of data in the field • Increased interest in outcome based research among academics • Federal support for data based decision making • Programmatic trends • Problem oriented policing • Enhanced crime analysis and intelligence activities • Intelligence led policing

16. KnowledgeThe Future of Criminal Justice Administration • Three themes addressed in this textbook. • To focus on what we know about criminal justice organizations from multiple perspectives • A systematic focus when viewing criminal justice administration • An understanding of criminal justice administration through the integration of theory

17. Chapter Summary • Two types of research • Basic concerned with fundamental uses of process and structure to understand a phenomenon • Applied research – the use of knowledge that directly impacts practitioners and policy • Criminal justice organizations use knowledge in three ways • Instrumental • Symbolic • Conceptual • Researchers are concerned with statistical averages as a way to comprehend the typical.

18. Chapter Summary • Practitioners emphasize the atypical in understanding organizational responses to crime. • Researchers must be careful in how the influence public policy, as definitive answers to crime may be ambiguous and not readily apparent. • Practitioners should use research to inform but not drive policy. • Criminal justice data tends to be crude. More valid and reliable variables are needed. • In-house research means the capacity of an organization to develop its own data and research needs.

19. Thinking Point and Question • After several years of discussion and negotiation with the police officers union and elected officials your department has just implemented a four-ten shift schedule. • This schedule allows police officers to work four consecutive ten hour days and then enjoy a three day weekend every week. • The new shift schedule was very favorably received and was implemented without incident.

20. Thinking Point and Question • A few months later the Chief of Police attended a training session hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. • At this session a widely respected psychologist reported on his research about the effects of a four-ten work week on police officer productivity and stress. • He finds that four-ten shifts reduce overall productivity and increase stress related disease (e.g. hypertension and heart disease).

21. Thinking Point and Question • The Chief regards the research as credible and asks you to “take a look at it and make any recommendations.” • Given what you learned in this chapter how would you advise the chief? Explain why.