Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases-Guide to Judicial Workload Assessment

Date

2008

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

U.S. Department of Justice

Abstract

Description

Few courts currently have the capacity to effectively measure their performance in child abuse and neglect cases. Whereas for-profit businesses have long taken for granted the need for performance measurement, it is still a relatively new concept for the Nation s courts. Yet, without this essential information, courts with jurisdiction over abuse and neglect cases cannot know what types of improvements they need to make and whether their efforts to improve are working. Performance measurement makes it possible for courts to diagnose and assess areas in need of improvement and review progress in those areas. In this process, courts build improvements from a baseline of current practices and then conduct regular reassessments as reforms are implemented. The purpose of the measures in the Toolkit for Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases is to help courts establish their baseline practices; diagnose what they need to improve; and use that information to make improvements, track their efforts, and identify, document, and replicate positive results.

Keywords

Neglect, Courts, Child abuse, Best practices

Citation

DOI