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Chapter 15 Research in Criminal Justice Organizations Slide 2 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 Slide 3 Distinguish between; o Basic research seeks to understand fundamental issues of process and structure in ways that may not immediately be useful to practitioners. o 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 o Apply the results from basic research, and o Use the knowledge from applied research to inform theory. Slide 4 Lovell (1988) found very little substantive use of research information by practitioners. Research is more readily used in organizations that o Actively conduct their own research o When management is less crisis oriented o Are less formal, and o Encourage decentralized decision making. Slide 5 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. Slide 6 Researchers should be cautious about influencing public policy. o The available research is limited. o 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. o Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment o Ceasefire, COMPSTAT and Exile Projects Slide 7 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. Slide 8 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: o Their research role is well defined, and o The credibility is based on technical expertise rather than position power. Slide 9 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 o Politics o Budget concerns Slide 10 Because research is considered objective, research results can be used as a weapon to o Affect change, or o Cause an agency to adopt a new policy This sometimes causes managers to discourage research. Slide 11 Research can be used to develop deeper understandings of social phenomena. o Normative re-education strategies impetus for change comes from collaboration rather than research o Action research using research to effect specific change Involvement in research tends to encourage the acceptance of its findings. Slide 12 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. Slide 13 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. Slide 14 Learning from failure o Administrators should be self-reflective. o Define success more broadly o Purely rational solutions are not likely o Modesty can be virtuous. o Politics and criminal justice reform/practice cannot be separated. o Planning in isolation is a mistake. o Program implementation and context matter in criminal justice. o Involving line personnel is essential. Slide 15 Three trends o Growing use of data in the field o Increased interest in outcome based research among academics o Federal support for data based decision making Programmatic trends o Problem oriented policing o Enhanced crime analysis and intelligence activities o Intelligence led policing Slide 16 Three themes addressed in this textbook. o To focus on what we know about criminal justice organizations from multiple perspectives o A systematic focus when viewing criminal justice administration o An understanding of criminal justice administration through the integration of theory Slide 17 Two types of research o Basic concerned with fundamental uses of process and structure to understand a phenomenon o Applied research the use of knowledge that directly impacts practitioners and policy Criminal justice organizations use knowledge in three ways o Instrumental o Symbolic o Conceptual Researchers are concerned with statistical averages as a way to comprehend the typical. Slide 18 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. Slide 19 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. Slide 20 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). Slide 21 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.