Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 004 - DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS › Division 01 - Division of Community Correction › Rule 004.01.20-017 - Research and Program Evaluation

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Board Approval Date: 5/18/06
Effective Date: 6/19/06
I.
APPLICABILITY.
This policy
			 applies to all Department of Community Correction (DCC) employees and people
			 outside the agency who request and conduct research.
II.
POLICY.
The Department of
			 Community Correction supports programs of research, evaluation, statistics,
			 audit, and planning, including studies and evaluation of the performance of
			 various functions and activities of the department and studies addressing
			 treatment of offenders and programs. Researchers must protect the privacy of
			 individual employees, offenders, and other involved parties and their records.
			 Researchers must comply with agency policy guidance and all legally acceptable
			 practices concerning research activities. (4-ACRS-7D-12; 3-3110, 3-3113,
			 3-3116)
III.
GUIDELINES.
A.
The DCC
			 Management
will encourage research and evaluation activities and
			 cooperate with qualified outside groups such as colleges, universities, public
			 groups and qualified individuals.
B.
All Employees
will cooperate
			 with approved research efforts and bring to the attention of management any
			 research activity that may adversely affect offenders.
C.
Research Plan Requirement.
A
			 research plan is required unless one of the following exceptions applies:
1. Employees Conducting Research. Research
			 proposals are not required when employees perform research activities within
			 the normal scope of their job duties.
2. Employees Conducting Program Evaluation.
			 When employees collect data for DCC approved reports (such as the Residential
			 Jurisdiction Population report) or approved business systems (such as eOMIS or
			 AASIS), a research plan is not required.
D.
Research Plan Development /
			 Implementation.
1. Researchers must
			 work with the DCC official designated by agency policy as responsible for
			 research activities and other designated staff to decide what questions should
			 be addressed, the data to be gathered, and how the data will be presented.
			 Researchers must submit proposed research plans for review and
			 approval/disapproval of the DCC using forms required by the agency. Research
			 plans must meet or exceed the review criteria outlined in agency policy.
			 Changes to an approved research plan must be pre-approved by the DCC. This
			 includes any research design modifications or changes in scope, data collected,
			 or the tools to be used in the collection of data. Researchers must follow
			 approved plans. The DCC will request review and approval by the appropriate
			 Deputy Director. The DCC will consider comments/approvals, negotiate
			 appropriate revisions, and will be the final approval authority for the
			 plan.
2. The Department of
			 Community Correction is responsible for establishing requirements for
			 evaluation.
E.
Protection of Offenders Involved in Research Projects
1. Participation. Offender participation in
			 research will be voluntary. Prior to participation in any research activity,
			 researchers must obtain a completed Inform and Consent to Participate in
			 Research form provided by DCC and signed by each offender involved in the
			 project. This form is not required when research is limited to review of
			 offender records or general observations are made of offender activities where
			 no record is made of a specific offender's activity.
2. Restrictions. The department will not
			 conduct nor allow others to conduct medical, pharmacological, or cosmetic
			 experiments involving offenders, excluding individual treatment of an offender
			 (based on need) by means of a specific medical procedure not generally
			 available. If an offender's physician determines there is a need to treat the
			 offender with a new medical procedure, it will be through an agreement between
			 the offender and the physician with a full explanation of the positive and
			 negative aspects of the treatment. Offenders may participate in other research
			 activities only when the research does not place the participant at undue risk.
			 (4-ACRS-4C-20)
F.
Review, Approval, and Dissemination of Research Results
1. Researchers. Prior to publication or
			 dissemination, researchers must submit a draft of internal/external research
			 results to the DCC and obtain the Director's approval.
2. DCC will ensure that all research project
			 results are reviewed by appropriate Deputy Director and others and will forward
			 reviewed results to the director with a recommendation to approve, disapprove,
			 or approve with specific revisions.
3. Researchers are responsible for the
			 dissemination of their findings to the public and shall provide copies of their
			 reports upon request to any person or entity requesting a copy.
4. Researchers shall provide at least four
			 (4) copies of any publication derived from the research to the Department of
			 Community Correction for retention and internal distribution.