NCJ Number
77492
Date Published
1978
Length
29 pages
Annotation
Findings and recommendations are reported from an assessment of delinquency prevention and treatment services needed in Charlotte and Mecklenberg County, N.C., for 1978.
Abstract
Findings of the 1978 needs assessment show that the problems identified in the 1977 needs assessment still exists. They indicate that the needs of many children would be better served by an increased emphasis on the development and encouragement of parental responsibility; that the substantive time and service rendered children by existing service agencies are unnecessarily reduced by excessive paperwork and recordkeeping required by bureaucratic procedures of those agencies; and that there is insufficient communication between existing youth service agencies, along with inadequate awareness by youth service agency personnel of the existence and nature of other service agency resources. Also, hardcore problem adolescents are not wanted or admitted by many agencies, existing service agencies are overburdened, and the existence of a multiplicity of service agencies often results in poor coordination of services available and rendered to individual clients. Based on these findings, the following recommendations are offered: the Board of County Commissioners should require directors of all agencies serving youths wholly or partially funded by the county to submit to the Youth Services Action Board by or before June 1, 1978, a detailed written proposal for dealing with the aforementioned problems; the Board of Commissioners should continue a policy of applying for all State and Federal funds available to finance the implementation and maintenance of delinquency prevention and treatment services advocated by the Youth Services Action Board; and the Board of Commissioners should undertake those actions appropriate to solicit more State funds to be used by local governments to contract with public and private agencies for community-based alternatives to the juvenile justice system. The names of board and advisory committee members, juvenile arrest statistics, and a list of youth services offered in the two counties are appended. (Author abstract modified)