Linear programming in criminal justice administration

Most criminal justice administrators can no longer rely on a single problem solving technique. Consequently, effective administrators must become familiar with (though no experts in) various techniqes. Linear programming (LP) is a powerful managerial technique which provides narrow-range solutions to problems in which the impact of key variables is both linear and certain. LP is especially useful when applied to problems involving the allocation of limited resources. This article discusses a simple how-to appraoach to LP, which is a mathematical problem solving computation that provides solutions which can be applied under conditions of certainty. Besides defining the key characteristics of LP, this article illustrates the procedures used to calculate the simplex method, the most widely used method for calculating a set of LP equations. The simplex method is mathematically efficient because it considers only the best solutions with a minimum number of solutions computed. Once the solution is computed, it is relatively easy to interpret the computer output.     

NEW ISSUES IN POLICY ANALYSIS—OR AN OLD AGENDA?

The logic of policy analysis in Grover Starling's critique of my article was but a vehicle for his real concern, which is a scathing attack on the Nicaraguan revolution. His criticism that I didnlt use comparative data confuses levels of analysis since my study does not focus on the national level. His argument about the contras not operating in the cotton region fails because the Sandinistas were active and successful there. tie also is mistaken in equating contra aggression with the activity of the Sandinistas against the people of the Atlantic Coast; Sandinistas have committed little in the way of human rights violations. The contras are not llrebels" but really dominated by followers of Somoza. The need for honest and open dialog about Nicaragua is not served by Starlingls veiling of his political agenda within a methodological analysis.