Compstat and The New Penology

Using fieldwork data collected at seven police agencies in the United States, this study asks 'To what extent is the operation of Compstat, a recent and highly touted police management and accountability system, consistent with the new penology?'. Examining a multidimensional reform in an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of criminology 2012, Vol.52 (1), p.73-92
Main Authors: Willis, James J., Mastrofski, Stephen D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Compstat
Criminal Justice
Criminology
Field work
Fieldwork
Innovation
Innovations
Management
Management information systems
Penology
Police
Punishment
Reform
U.S.A
United States of America
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Summary:Using fieldwork data collected at seven police agencies in the United States, this study asks 'To what extent is the operation of Compstat, a recent and highly touted police management and accountability system, consistent with the new penology?'. Examining a multidimensional reform in an area (police innovation) that has been relatively neglected helps illuminate to what degree Compstat is part of a new trend in criminal justice, and it gives theoretical insight into how the applicability of the new penology's elements may vary across different institutional settings. Our findings suggested support for the new penology at a general level but this weakened significantly upon closer examination. This article then provides a broader theoretical explanation for this looseness of fit with our observations of Compstat's operation.
ISSN:0007-0955
1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azr063