CALIFORNIA - OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING ALAMEDA REGIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING BOARD - COURT REFERRAL PROGRAM - 2D YEAR EVALUATION REPORT

• NCJ Number: 16906
• Author(s): J H LANGER
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 50 pages
• Corporate Author: California Office of Criminal Justice Planning
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PROGRAM GIVES JUDGES THE ALTERNATIVE OF OFFERING CONVICTED MISDEMEANANTS THE OPTION OF PERFORMING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IN LIEU OF PAYING A FINE OR SERVING JAIL TIME.

Abstract

THIS PROJECT HAS OVER 400 COMMUNITY AGENCIES ON FILE IN WHICH IT CAN PLACE PEOPLE. COURT REFERRAL PARTICIPANTS ARE FOR THE MOST PART INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. ONE-THIRD, HOWEVER, ARE CONVICTED FOR PENAL CODE VIOLATIONS. THE EVALUATION OF THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED AN ANALYSIS OF ALL PROJECT DATA, THREE ON-SITE VISITS, INTERVIEWS, AND NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION. IN ITS FIRST TWO YEARS OF OPERATION, THIS PROGRAM HAS PLACED OVER 4000 CONVICTED MISDEMEANANTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCIES. THESE OFFENDERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED OVER 250,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. DURING THIS SECOND YEAR, THE PROGRAM EXPERIENCED A 35 PERCENT INCREASE IN REFERRAL RATES. THE PROGRAM HAS SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED MOST OF ITS OBJECTIVES. THE WORK ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION RATE EXCEEDED 80 PERCENT FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR. EFFORTS TO EXPAND PROGRAM SERVICES TO JUVENILES AND FELONS HAVE NOT BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. EVALUATORS' RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED EXPANDING THE PROGRAM TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY ON A FULL TIME BASIS, HAVING THE COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT FUND THE PROJECT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND LIMITING PROJECT ACTIVITIES TO ADULT MISDEMEANOR CASES. A SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED.