Criminal Justice Planning: An Assessment

Abstract

The effort to bring about change for the better in the performance of the criminal justice system and to bring about crime reduction has rested on the proposition that comprehensive planning must precede initiatives aimed at these ends. An assessment of the state of comprehensive planning for law enforcement and criminal justice systems since 1965 when the first Federal legislation placed emphasis on this kind of planning, indicates that much progress has been made, but that major barriers exist to effective system-wide planning. The National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals said three years ago that the state comprehensive plans required under the Federal Crime Control Act since 1968 had been narrow in scope, had lacked reliable data and analysis, had not been precise about goals, directions, and strategies, and had not shown evidence of efforts to measure performance through monitoring and evaluation. These deficiencies still exist, though in lesser measure. They appear to be related to the fragmentation which characterizes the management of the criminal justice system, a narrow interpretation of the Crime Control Act and particularly its predecessor legislation by some states, a failure to analyze data, and uncertainty over what planning approaches might be most useful and appropriate for comprehensive, system-wide criminal justice and law enforcement planning. The key to overcoming the deficiencies would appear to be an understanding of the nature of the criminal justice system, and the development of a pragmatic approach to planning. Consensus appears to be developing along these lines, encouraged by the actions of several states which have taken the lead in adopting and incremental list, process-oriented approach to planning, and supported by new LEAA guidelines, the standards and goals program of LEAA, and the development and implementation of supportive mechanisms, in the form of planning, training and technical assistance.