Performancebased Standards in Juvenile Confinement Facilities

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Performance-based Standards in Juvenile
Confinement Facilities
A Case Study on the Effect of the Web on Research
and Program Implementation
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Context

• Conditions of Confinement Study (1990 - 1994)
• Conducted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and
  Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Covered almost 1,000 juvenile detention centers
  and training schools (Mail Survey and 95 Site
  Visits)

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Context Conditions of Confinement Study
(1990-1994)

• Finding Conformance to existing standards was
  not associated with lower rates of critical
  incidents, including
• Suicidal behavior
• Escapes and Attempted Escapes
• Injuries -- to staff and residents
• Use of Restraints
• Use of Isolation

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Context Inception of Performance-based Standards
Project

• Plan for Performance-Based Standards Model
• Experts would create Standards and Instruments
• Facilities report data
• National researchers prepare data and reports
• Facilities compare outcome measures over time and
  against field averages
• Facilities create a plan for change
• Repeatmonthly

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Context Existing Situation

• Facilities collected needed data elements
• Data stored in many systems -- even with in
  facility
• Paper
• Desktop
• MIS
• Analysis of Data limited
• Field wide analysis even more limited

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Traditional Data Collection

• Send Data Collectors
• Install desktop programs
• Mail Forms

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Traditional Data Collection

• Send Data Collectors
• Costly
• Alienating / irritating to facility staff
• Does not promote change
• Consistent but superficial data
• Non-scalable
• Install desktop programs
• Platform compatibility issues
• Difficult TA
• Difficult to Upgrade
• Juggling Disks
• Mail Forms
• Staff intensive (Researchers)
• All of which leads to this.

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Traditional Data Reporting

• Not useful for continuous improvement model
• Slow
• Travel, mail
• Tracking and contact
• Cleaning
• Data Quality Relatively Low
• Site staff alienated by process
• Feedback on errors slow / too late
• Implementation problems slow to change
• Stuffy
• Ignored
• In the end, wed be faced with this...

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The Web Solution!

• Build Performance-based Standards Model into a
  website
• Data is cleaned and validated online
• Reports are timely
• Systemic collection errors detected early and
  fixed
• Programming changes made rapidly and uniformly
• Participant communication and shareholding
  improved
• And we did it on our first try

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Advise

• Plan on Paper
• Be Prepared for change
• People are not use to interaction with data
• Ideas start flying
• Use known programs
• Use real talent to set up
• relational database designer
• Graphic web designer
• Always have the User in mind
• Simple navigation
• Fast speeds
• Varied Browsers

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Website Data Flow
Http//www,performance-standards.org
Enter Data Assess and re-assess
Site Report Identify problems
Diagnostic pages Solve problems
Action Plan Fix problems
Implement Action Plan Monitor Progress
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More Free Advise

• Build in too many error and logic checks
• Format checks
• Validation text
• Range checks
• Offer Users incentives
• Resources, Calendars, Bulletin boards
• Avoid double coding (onsite and off)
• Manage programmers carefully
• Lie about deadlines
• Set Short term goals
• Review work often

Developers site
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Still More Free Advise

• Test Site Carefully
• Have non-project staff test site
• Test on all browsers/local settings
• Beta test / Try everything
• Ask other (trusted) programmers to test (crack)
  site.
• Plan for Revision
• Site isnt done until the Users say its done
• Invite Feedback on and off line
• Prepare for Technical Assistance
• Online manuals, slide shows, glossaries, links
• Offline Email, phone, and travel

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Lessons Research is Transformed

• The Web Revolutionizes Research
• Feedback in real time has incredible effect
• Data cleaning and reporting incredibly
  accelerated
• Site Staff become enthusiastic
• Call us about definitions, results, theory
• Offer suggestions
• Improve in speed each collection
• Thorough
• Data gets analyzed by practitioners
• Site visits reveal targeted plans

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Lessons Program Implementation Enhanced

• Internet conduit for training materials
• Manuals
• Slide shows
• Links
• Fosters cross-facility contact
• Travel between sites
• Email/bulletin board exchanges
• Mentor sites
• Whole project plan is being implemented
• Site visits reveal targeted plans
• Scalable new Sites signing on 100

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Coming Improvements

• Linking with existing MIS
• ASCII
• Access table
• Data Transfer Mechanisms
• Bringing whole State systems in
• Upgrade
• Face lift