The Impact of Managing for Results Mandates in Corrections: Lessons From Three States

Abstract

Almost all state governments have adopted legislative or administrative mandates to manage for results. These mandates require agencies to engage in strategic planning and performance measurement, with the hope that performance information will be used to change decision-making behavior and improve performance. This article examines case studies of Alabama, Virginia, and Vermont to understand how corrections managers react to and use these mandates. The findings indicate a high degree of variation in case outcomes, ranging from compliance, to performance improvement efforts, to a questioning of the basic goals of corrections. There is a common logic that explains how managing for results is used however, based on organization’s leadership agenda, and informed by knowledge of environmental challenges and opportunities.