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16 CAR § 30-107. Research and program evaluation
16 CAR § 30-107. Research and program evaluation.
(a) Applicability. This section applies to all Division of Community Correction employees and people outside the agency who request and conduct research.
(b) Policy.
(1) The division supports programs of research, evaluation, statistics, audit, and planning, including:
(A) Studies and evaluation of the performance of various functions and activities of the division; and
(B) Studies addressing treatment of offenders and programs.
(2) Researchers must protect the privacy of individual employees, offenders, and other involved parties and their records.
(3) Researchers must comply with agency policy guidance and all legally acceptable practices concerning research activities.
(c) Guidelines.
(1) The division’s management will:
(A) Encourage research and evaluation activities; and
(B) Cooperate with qualified outside groups, such as:
(i) Colleges;
(ii) Universities;
(iii) Public groups; and
(iv) Qualified individuals.
(2) All employees will:
(A) Cooperate with approved research efforts; and
(B) Bring to the attention of management any research activity that may adversely affect offenders.
(3) Research plan requirement. A research plan is required unless one (1) of the following exceptions applies:
(A) Employees conducting research. Research proposals are not required when employees perform research activities within the normal scope of their job duties; or
(B) Employees conducting program evaluation. When employees collect data for division-approved reports (such as the Residential Jurisdiction Population report) or approved business systems (such as eOMIS or AASIS), a research plan is not required.
(4) Research plan development/implementation.
(A)(i) Researchers must work with the division official designated by agency policy as responsible for research activities and other designated staff to decide:
(a) What questions should be addressed;
(b) The data to be gathered; and
(c) How the data will be presented.
(ii) Researchers must submit proposed research plans for review and approval/disapproval of the division using forms required by the agency.
(iii) Research plans must meet or exceed the review criteria outlined in agency policy.
(iv)(a) Changes to an approved research plan must be preapproved by the division.
(b) This includes any:
(1) Research design modifications; or
(2) Changes in scope, data collected, or the tools to be used in the collection of data.
(v) Researchers must follow approved plans.
(vi) The division will request review and approval by the appropriate deputy director.
(vii) The division will:
(a) Consider comments/approvals;
(b) Negotiate appropriate revisions; and
(c) Be the final approval authority for the plan.
(B) The division is responsible for establishing requirements for evaluation.
(5) Protection of offenders involved in research projects.
(A) Participation.
(i) Offender participation in research will be voluntary.
(ii) Prior to participation in any research activity, researchers must obtain a completed Inform and Consent to Participate in Research form provided by the division and signed by each offender involved in the project.
(iii) 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.
(B) Restrictions.
(i) The division 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.
(ii) 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.
(iii) Offenders may participate in other research activities only when the research does not place the participant at undue risk.
(6) Review, approval, and dissemination of research results.
(A) Researchers. Prior to publication or dissemination, researchers must submit a draft of internal/external research results to the division and obtain the Director of the Division of Community Correction’s approval.
(B) The division will:
(i) Ensure that all research project results are reviewed by the appropriate deputy director and others; and
(ii) Forward reviewed results to the director with a recommendation to:
(a) Approve;
(b) Disapprove; or
(c) Approve with specific revisions.
(C) 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.
(D) Researchers shall provide at least four (4) copies of any publication derived from the research to the division for retention and internal distribution.
"AASIS" means Arkansas Administrative Statewide Information System.
This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained the following at the end of subdivision (b)(3) of this section: "(4-ACRS-7D-12; 3-3110, 3-3113, 3- 3116)"
This section contained the following at the end of subdivision (c)(5)(B) of this section: "4-ACRS-4C-20."
This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows:
"Section Number: AR 1.9 Page Number: 1
Board Approval Date: 5/18/06
Supersedes: AR 1.9 Dated: 6/20/03
Reference: Secretary of State Rule Code 159.00
Effective Date: 6/19/06"