BERRIEN COUNTY (MI) COURT - SCHOOL SEMINAR PROJECT - FINAL REPORT, 1976-1977

• NCJ Number: 68023
• Author(s): C J KEHOE; K JOYNER; W J HAMMER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 34 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Juvenile Service Training Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF BERRIEN COUNTY, MICH.'S SEMINAR, DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE JUVENILE COURT AND EDUCATORS, ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE JUVENILE COURT CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR BERRIEN COUNTY IDENTIFIED COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE JUVENILE COURT AND COUNTY SCHOOLS AS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN 1974 AND 1975. AS A RESULT, A GROUP OF EDUCATORS, SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND THE POLICE ORGANIZED WITH THE COURT TO FORM THE COURT-SCHOOL SEMINAR COMMITTEE. THE GOAL OF THE COMMITTEE WAS TO DEVELOP PLANS FOR A SEMINAR WHERE EDUCATORS AND SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL COULD LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER AND BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE IN HELPING BEHAVIOR PROBLEM YOUTH. THE FIRST SEMINAR WAS HELD IN OCTOBER 1976. SPECIFIC SEMINAR OBJECTIVES WERE TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN EDUCATORS AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS IN THE COUNTY; TO INCREASE PARTICIPANT AWARENESS OF THE CAUSES, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; AND TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF INSERVICE TRAINING IN BERRIEN COUNTY SCHOOLS RELATED TO BEHAVIOR PROBLEM YOUTH. FIFTY PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE INITIAL GROUP OF SEMINARS. TRAINEES RECEIVED NEARLY 3,000 TRAINING HOURS THROUGH THE EIGHT FULL-DAY SEMINARS. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS REPRESENTED THE LARGEST GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS. SEMINAR TOPICS INCLUDED COMMUNICATIONS BUILDING, THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, SCHOLASTIC PERFORMANCE AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, JUVENILE SERVICES IN BERRIEN COUNTY, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIVENESS TO DELINQUENCY, STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH TROUBLED YOUTH, WORKING WITH DELINQUENTS IN FOSTER CARE, AND PROGRAM EVALUATION. A 100-QUESTION EXAMINATION WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE FIRST SEMINAR, AND THE SAME EXAMINATION WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE FINAL SEMINAR. A MEDIAN GAIN OF 13.72 WAS MEASURED FOR THE GROUP. THUS, THE EVALUATION CONCLUDED THAT THE PROGRAM MET THE STATED GOALS AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, AND THAT PRESENTATION OF THE PROGRAM IN OTHER COUNTIES WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. TABLES, PHOTOGRAPHS, FOOTNOTES, AND APPENDED RELATED MATERIAL ARE INCLUDED.