1. Introduction; 2. Irrational criminal justice policy; 3. A solution for improving criminal justice policy: evaluation research; 4. Needs evaluations; 5. Theory evaluations; 6. Implementation evaluations; 7. Outcome evaluations and impact evaluations; 8. Cost-efficiency evaluations; 9. Conclusion.
Examines the most prominent criminal justice policies, finding that they fall short of achieving the effectiveness that policymakers have advocated.
Daniel P. Mears is a Professor at the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He has published widely in criminology, including more than 80 articles, chapters, and reports, and has examined a wide range of criminal justice policies. His work has appeared in Criminology, the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, the Law and Society Review and other journals, and his views, including editorials, have been frequently cited in such media outlets as the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today.
“Criminal justice policy in the United States is most often based
on outdated customs, ideologically based politics, and
ill-conceived common sense. Sober but also optimistic in his
outlook, Daniel Mears seeks to sophisticate crime control
discussions by showing us how to use various evaluation strategies
to create informative, policy-relevant evidence. Masterfully
written and rich with real-world examples, this volume is, at once,
essential reading for scholars, ideal for teaching students the
nature and importance of evaluation research, and invaluable as a
blueprint for policymakers wishing to design effective and humane
criminal justice interventions.” – Francis T. Cullen, Distinguished
Research Professor of Criminal Justice, University of
Cincinnati
“Dan Mears has written an important book for criminal justice. He
provides a compelling and comprehensive case for the role of
evaluation in criminal justice. The stakes for an effective and
efficient criminal justice system have never been higher. Mears
argues that the system is broken, but can be fixed. Sound
evaluation research provides a foundation for repairing the system.
This book should appeal to a broad readership. Those who don’t heed
its lessons will do so at their own peril. There is a sound
prescription for fixing criminal justice, and Mears has it.” –
Scott Decker, Arizona State University
“Reading this book made me excited about teaching a course in
evaluation. Mears addresses research and policy issues in a new way
and clearly places evaluation as a priority in achieving an
accountable and effective criminal justice system. American
Criminal Justice Policy forces the reader to reevaluate our
criminal justice policies. It is a must-read for students,
researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in or
advocating for an evidence-based criminal justice system.” – Doris
Layton MacKenzie, The Pennsylvania State University
“The world would be a better place if evaluation methods and
findings were understood, valued, and most importantly used as the
basis for criminal justice policy. Policies and programs would be
designed in response to the causes of social problems. Gone would
be the days of social experiments and engineering that are
ideologically based. Dan Mears’s American Criminal Justice Policy
illuminates how policy would change. Even more so, he illustrates
how solid evaluation methodologies can eliminate idiosyncratic
policymaking. No doubt, every elected official could use a copy of
this book. Then again, every staffer of the same elected
politicians should be required to read this book and also pass a
test on evaluation methods before they can develop policies and
legislation. This book signals how new policies can be shaped by
better methods.” – Faye S. Taxman, George Mason University
"...this highly readable book is an excellent introduction to
evaluation research in criminal justice. Moreover, because it is
written at a fairly high level, established scholars will find it
useful in their own research. Ideally, the book would be a part of
a graduate course, but at the very least, we should expect our
students to have read it.... The book should be required reading
for all criminal justice researchers who seek federal and state
funding, for all staff of federal and state agencies that fund
criminal justice research, and for scholars and practitioners who
serve on grant review panels for these agencies. Doing so will lead
to better quality proposals, better quality reviews, and ultimately
better quality research." - R. Barry Ruback, Pennsylvania State
University, Criminal Justice and Behavior
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
