Statewide Data Collection of Evidence-based Programs: Process and Analysis Efforts

• In Event: Enhancing Juvenile Justice in the Midwest

Abstract

Often states fund juvenile justice programs without measuring the effectiveness of those efforts. Nebraska passed legislation that mandated program evaluation. In year one, evaluators examined program level variables modeled after the work from Lipsey, Howell, Kelly, Chapman, and Carver (2010). In year two, we began examining program specific outcomes for the various prevention and intervention programs throughout the state. Effectively evaluating juvenile justice programs includes defining and measuring contact with the system and recidivism, while developing the secure platform and infrastructure to collect and analyze the data (Walsh & Weber, 2014). Using a hierarchical model will allow us to test the individual, program level, and community level variables.

Authors

• Anne Hobbs, University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Sara Moore, University of Nebraska at Omaha