Crime Prevention Programs, Strategies And Policy

1. Explain why evaluation of crime prevention programs, strategies, and policies is important.

Evaluation of crime prevention programs, strategies, and policies is important for the most obvious reason, to see if what we’re implementing works or if it doesn’t work. Often times different things are implemented but never followed up on.

2. Name and briefly discuss the three types of evaluation discussed in the text and in lecture.

Impact evaluation- focuses on change that occurs after the introduction of the program, or policy. Impact evaluation has a few limitations crime prevention preventions often doesn’t just rely on one intervention or approach. Second it can be difficult to isolate target areas from surrounding areas, as well as the issue of crime displacement and diffusion may arise.

Process evaluation- Focuses on procedures required to implement a program. Process evaluation offer detailed accounts and descriptions of programs and program implementations. Many factors include things like mission/goals of the program, the level and quality of program staff, the funding and other resources of the program, and obstacles that may be faced. A major limitation of process evaluations is often

Theory helps identify why a program works and why it doesn’t. Theory also helps identify broad application, can the particular program or strategy be affective in different places or amongst different groups of people. Theory is often underutilized for many reasons. One reason is “outcome myopia” which suggest that a program is good enough if it works, it’s not important why it works. Another reason is lack of theoretical knowledge many people just aren’t familiar with criminological theory. Other problems include many programs being grass root programs, and many programs are never evaluated therefore knowledge of whether or not they work isn’t