NCJ Number
18359
Date Published
1975
Length
77 pages
Annotation
A PROGRAM ASSESSMENT WHICH INCLUDES A DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU (YSB) AREA AND CLIENTS, AND DISCUSSIONS OF YSB RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND EFFECTS ON RECIDIVISM.
Abstract
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE AKRON YSB IS PROVIDED, AND THE BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM, ITS GOALS, AND PROGRAMS FOR THEIR ATTAINMENT ARE ANALYZED. DATA FOR THIS PART OF THE STUDY WERE COLLECTED FROM INTERVIEWS OF THSE RELATED WITH THE AKRON YSB. THE YSB SERVES THE PORTION OF AKRON THIS AREA, ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO ITS CRIME AND DELINQUENCY RATES. THE SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YSB CLIENTS, THE TYPES OF SERVICES THEY RECEIVED, AND OUTCOMES OF AGENCY TREATMENT ARE REPORTED AS WELL. AGENCY RECORDS WERE ANALYZED AND STAFF MEMBERS WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS LONGITUDINAL ASPECT OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN. AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPARISON OF YSB CLIENTS PROCESSED IN JUVENILE COURT WITH A SAMPLE OF MIDDLE CLASS YOUTHS, A SAMPLE OF NON-YSB YOUTHS, AND A SAMPLE OF WORKING CLASS YOUTHS SHOWED THAT THE DELINQUENCY RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THE YSB CLIENT WAS COMPARABLE TO THAT FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS SAMPLE AND SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE NON-YSB SAMPLE. THE YSB WAS FOUND TO BE PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN WORKING WITH YOUTH OFFENDERS, FEMALES, WHITES, AND THOSE WHO HAD COMMITTED LESS SERIOUS OFFNESES. UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY SERVICES WAS FOUND TO BE GOOD, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT USED WITH MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS. FINALLY, THE PE CAPITA COST OF PROVIDING YSB SERVICES HAS FOUND TO BE WUITE REASONABLE AND COMAPRABLE TO SERVICE COSTS OF OTHER YOUTH SERVICE AGENCIES. (AUTHOR ABTRACT MODIFIED)