Program Evaluation in Criminal Justice

This document discusses the importance of program evaluation in the field of criminal justice. It explores the mission of a criminal justice program, the specific population it serves, the services provided, and how the program addresses the needs of the community. It also highlights the benefits of conducting an evaluation and the ethical considerations involved. The document concludes with the steps taken to plan the evaluation.

Program Evaluation in Criminal Justice
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Identifying and describing a criminal justice program in the community
The criminal justice program is mainly created for offering rehabilitation programs
for the people within the community who are involved in different types of crimes such as
drug abuse, culpable homicide, murder and different violent activities such as assault and
battery. The diversion program is created for the welfare of the criminals as well as
maintaining peace within the community. The understanding of the needs of people is
considered to be significant in order to fulfil them in an appropriate manner (Albanese, 2013).
Mission of the program and specific population served
The mission of the diversion program is to treat the offenders in an appropriate
manner through correctional means such as offering reformative services instead of detaining
the offenders for a certain period of time. The target population is the people who are living
in the local community of Alabama (Hackney Blackwell, 2010). It would create an example
and standard for other criminal justice programs carrying out its operations in different local
communities.
Services provided by the program
The diversion program would provide rehabilitation service to the offenders within a
local community of Alabama to a large extent. The rehabilitation services are being designed
for meeting the necessities of the offenders such as substance and mental health abuse. The
services would provide adequate care focusing on examining and rehabilitating people who
are involved in the criminal offense (Haugen & Musser, 2009). The members of the program
would be provided with appropriate training which will enable them to examine the causes
and nature of the crime, enhancement of skills for providing rehabilitation, preparing and
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monitoring case plans, investigations and reports. The substance use rehabilitation includes
providing counselling to the offender for decreasing its dependence on an addictive substance
such as alcohol or drugs. For example, providing different types of therapies or counselling
from a counsellor or psychologist. Special rehabilitation will be provided to the offenders
convicted in sex offenses such as child molestation or rape (Sieber, 2011). It is being
designed for decreasing the chance of not to commit another sexual. The rehabilitation
consists of anger-management classes or relationship counseling. Educational counseling is
being designed for assisting the offenders. Life skills courses are also provided in order to
guide the offenders of how to become a member of the community such as doing jobs,
making friends and living happily.
Program addressing the need in the community
The diversion program will assist the offender to become a better human being, foster
human and crease the rate of crime within the local community of Alabama. The program
focuses on helping the people to leave criminal activities and continue their life as like other
people live within the community (Kirton & Madunic, 2009). The main purpose of providing
rehabilitation services is not to imprison offender for committing a crime rather teaching
significant responsibilities and morals for their own life. The main motive is to maintain
peace within the community and supporting the offenders to overcome their issues. The
program promotes humanizing belief among people who have committed a crime and
becoming a better human being.
Program benefit from an evaluation
The diversion program will serve the community in an efficient and effective manner.
An evaluation of the program will assist to determine its effectiveness and benefits. The
evaluation will show the rate of decrease in criminal activities and how the lives of the
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offenders are being changes. Rehabilitation is considered to be a significant part of the
criminal justice program. The offender is not to be sent to prison rather giving a second
chance to live their life (Nielsen & Silverman, 2009). The evaluation will help to determine
and examine the effectiveness of the criminal justice program. It will depict to what extent
the program would be effective and how it can be implemented for achieving the goals. The
elements that can evaluate are the outcome of the program, deviations from the planned
results, judging the worth of program, unintended consequences and recommending
modification of the program. The members of the criminal justice system program would be
able to make changes or enhance the efficiency of the program in order to assist the
offenders.
Ethical consideration
The members associated with the diversion program have to consider the ethical rules
and regulations. The people of the community need to be informed about the processes and
importance of the criminal justice program. The moral and values of the communicated
should not be affected. The process needs to be fairly and appropriately. The code of ethics
can be developed for directing members associated with the program (Sanders, Young &
Burton, 2010). It is important to respect the dignity, worth, and rights of all people. It is the
right of each and every individual that their information should remain confidential. Thus,
while carrying out the program with the offenders, it is significant to ensure that their
personal information is not disclosed.
Steps were taken to plan the evaluation
The first step is to determine the criteria which would examine the effectiveness of the
program. Concepts, techniques, and principles will be implemented to evaluate the
characteristics of the criminal justice program. A document will be prepared which would
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show the objectives that are being achieved within a given period of time. The second step is
to explain who the general criteria can be translated into particular program elements that are
essential for evaluating the program. The evaluation can be carried out at identifying the
overall effectiveness of the program or the effectiveness of specific components. The third
step is to compare the planned outcome and the actual outcome. The estimation of the costs
and benefits can also examine the effectiveness of the program.
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References
Albanese, J. (2013). Criminal justice (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Hackney Blackwell, A. (2010). Law (6th ed.). New York: Ferguson.
Haugen, D., & Musser, S. (2009). Criminal justice (4th ed.). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Kirton, J., & Madunic, J. (2009). Global law (4th ed.). Farnham: Ashgate.
Nielsen, M., & Silverman, R. (2009). Criminal justice in Native America (3rd ed.). Tucson,
Ariz.: University of Arizona Press.
Sanders, A., Young, R., & Burton, M. (2010). Criminal justice (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Sieber, U. (2011). National criminal law in a comparative legal context (3rd ed.). Berlin:
Duncker & Humblot.
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