Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases: User's Guide to Nonautomated Data Collection

• NCJ Number: 223569
• Author(s): Sophia I. Gatowski Ph.D.; Shirley Dobbin Ph.D.
• Date Published: April 2009
• Length: 48 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2003-JS-FX-K008; 90XW0008
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Policy/Procedure Handbook/Manual

Annotation

This volume of the toolkit explains how to use nonautomated data collection methods, such as review, court observation, interviews, and focus groups, to complete the performance measurement picture on child abuse and neglect cases.

Abstract

Some courts may lack automated systems for gathering performance measurement data on abuse and neglect cases. Even with adequate automation resources, certain performance measures may not be captured via automated systems. A set of tools were developed that assess court performance in child abuse and neglect cases, and can be used to collect data nationally; they also can be tailored by individual courts to make them compatible with a court’s individual measurement needs and ability to collect data. Four tools discussed in this guide include: (1) case file review form; (2) court observation hearing code sheets; (3) expert opinion focus group guide; and (4) interview and questionnaire forms. This guide, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), provides the reader with instructions about how to use these tools to measure court performance. Each chapter is devoted to a specific instrument and describes the purpose of the instrument, provides tips on how to use it, and explains how the data collected can assess court performance on a national level. This volume is one of five in a toolkit designed and tested to provide practical and comprehensive guidance to the critical task of measuring court performance in child abuse and neglect cases. Appendixes A-C