NCJ Number
55922
Date Published
1976
Length
127 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY (CYA) PROGRAM IS EVALUATED, WITH CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO PAROLE RESEARCH, PAROLE AGENTS, LENGTH OF PAROLE, AND PAROLE AGENT CASELOAD SIZE.
Abstract
THE CYA WAS CREATED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN 1941 AND ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO PROTECT SOCIETY BY SUBSTITUTING METHODS OF TRAINING AND TREATMENT DIRECTED TOWARD THE CORRECTION AND REHABILITATION OF YOUNG PERSONS GUILTY OF PUBLIC OFFENSES. THE YOUTH AUTHORITY BOARD, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, HAS STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECOMMENDING TREATMENT PROGRAMS, GRANTING PAROLE, SETTING CONDITIONS FOR PAROLE, DETERMINING INSTANCES WHERE PAROLE HAS BEEN VIOLATED OR SHOULD BE REVOKED, RETURNING PERSONS TO THE COURT OF COMMITMENT FOR REDISPOSITION, AND DISCHARGING WARDS FROM CYA JURISDICTION. CHARACTERISTICS OF CYA WARDS HAVE CHANGED, PRIMARILY AS A RESULT OF THE PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED IN 1965, SEVERAL COURT DICISIONS IN THE EARLY 1970'S AFFECTING THE RIGHTS OF CYA WARDS, AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGES MADE IN 1976. THE PERFORMANCE OF PAROLEES DEPENDS ON TWO GROUPS OF FACTORS, THOSE CONTROLLABLE BY THE PAROLE PROGRAM (COUNSELING, FINANCIAL AID, AND SURVEILLANCE AFTER RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY) AND THOSE OVER WHICH THE CYA HAS MINIMAL OR NO DIRECT CONTROL (FOR EXAMPLE, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND NUMEROUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS). AN ANALYSIS OF PAROLE LENGTH AND PAROLE EFFECTIVENESS INDICATES THAT DIFFERENCES IN PAROLE LENGTH ARE NOT RELATED TO DIFFERENCES IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AFTER THE FIRST 18 MONTHS OF PAROLE AND THAT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR THE CYA TO IDENTIFY CERTAIN LOW-RISK GROUPS WHICH CAN BE DISCHARGED WITHOUT EXTENDED PAROLE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ANY PROJECT DESIGNED TO EVALUATE PAROLE EFFECTIVENESS SHOULD PROVIDE ADEQUATE CONTROLS FOR EXTRINISIC FACTORS AFFECTING PAROLEE PERFORMANCE, THAT RESEARCH BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PATROL ACTUALLY PREVENTS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, THAT A REVISED CASELOAD FORMULA FOR PAROLE BUDGETING BE ADOPTED IN ORDER TO REPRESENT WORKLOAD DEMANDS REALISTICALLY, THAT THE CASELOAD RATIO CONTINUE AT THE BUDGETED RATIO OF 50 TO 1, AND THAT THE AVERAGE DAILY POPULATION SERVED BY THE CYA BE ADJUSTED TO EXCLUDE MISSING PAROLEES AND PAROLEES DETAINED OR INCARCERATED. BASED ON DIFFERENCES IN RECIDIVISM RATES, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT A NEED EXISTS TO DEVELOP A DECISIONMAKING FRAMEWORK THAT WILL FACILITATE THE CONCENTRATION OF PAROLE RESOURCES WHERE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION CAN BE REALIZED. A GLOSSARY, SUPPORTING TABLES AND FIGURES, AND NOTES ON PAROLE RESEARCH STUDIES ARE INCLUDED. DATA AND FORMS RELEVANT TO THE CYA PAROLE PROGRAM ARE APPENDED. (DEP)