The Real Event Model or the Organizational Convenience Model? A National Survey of Correctional Emergency Preparedness Evaluation Methodology

Abstract

Preparing correctional personnel to effectively respond to a broad range of lifethreatening emergencies is a critical goal for correctional managers. Although there is a growing literature on the management of correctional emergencies, researchers have not yet examined the methodology correctional managers use to evaluate staff preparedness for effective emergency management. This study presents two emergency preparedness evaluation (EPE) models: the real event model (REM) and the organizational convenience model (OCM). These models have different structural characteristics that may have important practical implications for the EPE process. A 49-question Correctional Emergency Management Survey elicited responses from 41 state Departments of Corrections (DOCs), indicating that the majority of DOCs currently use an OCM-based EPE methodology. The implications of this finding are discussed, and directions for future research suggested.