Performance Management in the Prison and Rehabilitation Sector: Suggestion of management tools inspired by the Balanced Scorecard

The present study investigates the creation of a prospective dashboard, known as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), along with a performance scoring system tailored specifically for the prison and rehabilitation sector, aiming to improve performance management. The necessity for such instruments emerges in a context where current monitoring systems are fragmented and predominantly centered on a limited set of ineffective indicators. The suggested methodology aims to address these deficiencies by creating a structured, balanced, and results-driven framework. The initial tool, based on the BSC methodology and customized to the unique features of the prison context, was developed through an intervention-research approach that incorporated the insights of practitioners in the field. Performance indicators were established across five dimensions: economic efficiency, quality of life for inmates, rehabilitation of inmates, security, and organizational effectiveness. This approach was later solidified through the creation of a scoring system, which facilitates more nuanced and comparative performance evaluations that also consider the specific contexts of each institution. The results affirm both the practicality and significance of the approach, illustrating that the developed tools can effectively act as levers to steer prison policy towards enhanced efficiency and transparency. Keywords Performance, management, Balanced Scorecard, penitentiary institutions, intervention-research