ANSWERS TO THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT JUVENILE DIVERSION

• NCJ Number: 46639
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1978) Pages: 109-123
• Author(s): M BOHNSTEDT
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 15 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; California Office of Criminal Justice Planning
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services; Institute for Scientific Information
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ELEVEN CALIFORNIA DIVERSION PROJECTS ARE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF YOUTHS DIVERTED, AMOUNT OF MONEY SAVED, AND REDUCTION OF RECIDIVISM.

Abstract

RESEARCH FINDINGS INDICATED THAT ONLY HALF OF THE DIVERSION PROGRAM CLIENTS ACTUALLY WERE DIVERTED FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE OTHER HALF WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PROCESSED FURTHER HAD THE PROJECTS NOT BEEN AVAILABLE. SINCE SO FEW CLIENTS WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE CONTINUED THROUGH THE SYSTEM, THERE WERE NO NET SAVINGS. PROGRAM COSTS WERE GREATER THAN SAVINGS. FOR MOST OF THE PROJECTS, 6-MONTH RECIDIVISM RATES WERE ABOUT THE SAME FOR PROJECT CLIENTS AND CONTROLS. HOWEVER, THREE PROJECTS DID REDUCE RECIDIVISM. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT DIVERSION PROJECTS SHOULD CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS ON CLIENTS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD BE PROCESSED BEYOND PROBATION INTAKE. SUCH CONCENTRATION SHOULD INCREASE DIVERSION AND SAVINGS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM. DIVERSION PROJECTS SHOULD PROVIDE SERVICES SIMILAR TO THOSE OFFERED BY THE PROJECTS THAT REDUCED RECIDIVISM: LONG-TERM INDIVIDUAL CONTACT AND COUNSELING OR SPECIALIZED FAMILY CRISIS COUNSELING, DEPENDING UPON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLIENT, THE FAMILY, AND THE STAFF. THESE SERVICES SHOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH RECREATION, TUTORING, AND OTHER SCHOOL-RELATED SUPPORT AS NEEDED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)