NCJ Number
166747
Editor(s)
K Howard
Date Published
1996
Length
97 pages
Annotation
This report incorporates a descriptive evaluation, a process evaluation, and an outcome evaluation to assess San Jose's (California) BEST Cycle V Program's efforts to use community institutions and agencies to counter San Jose's gang problem.
Abstract
The descriptive evaluation describes the services contracted, the frequency of service provided, and the level of impact on clients of each of the BEST Cycle V Programs. The process evaluation documents the activities of the programs according to how each activity was organized, implemented, and provided to the community; it also analyzes the overall effectiveness of the program's allocation process. The outcome/impact evaluation compares the results of the program's outcomes and impact on clients served by the program. This component of the evaluation collected pre-data and post-data to assess the program's impact and client satisfaction. Evaluation findings show that contract service providers manifested a growing capacity to serve gang-involved youth. Forty-five percent of program funds were used to serve youth who were gang supporters to hard-core gang members. The contracted services demonstrated a good mix of service, as they involved 44 percent prevention services and 56 percent intervention services. The evaluators conclude that the services delivered were cost- effective and provided a much needed youth service. They commend the City of San Jose for developing a national model for the allocation of funds for direct services that target prevention, intervention, and suppression of gang activity. Recommendations for improvement are offered in the following areas: administration of data collection instruments; data collection from sources other than the client; definition of sample of clients and service cycles; redesign of the evaluation instrument; collaboration and incorporation of suggestions from the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Evaluation Task Force; and a focusing of evaluation indicators on specific client groups. 29 tables and appended evaluation instruments