NCJ Number
13227
Date Published
1974
Length
61 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF ATTAINMENT OF FOUR GOALS - PROTECTION TO CITIZENS, MORE EVEN ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, OFFENDER REHABILITATION, AND REDUCED INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENTS.
Abstract
A NUMBER OF INNOVATIVE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED IN SUBSIDY SUPERVISION PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, THESE INTENSIVE SUPERVISION UNITS HAVE EMPLOYED A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAM COMPONENTS IN PROVIDING ENRICHED SERVICES TO THEIR CASES. SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH PROBATION SUBSIDY FUNDS INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING AND CONJOINT FAMILY COUNSELING. FUNDS ARE ALSO USED TO PROVIDE SERVICES ON A CONTRACT BASIS FOR PSYCHIATRIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND MEDICAL SERVICES WHERE NEEDED. ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF THE NEW SPECIAL SUPERVISION PROGRAMS INCLUDE JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES, VOCATIONAL AND TRAINING PROGRAMS, DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAMS, REMEDIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, ANTI-NARCOTIC TESTING, NEW PLACEMENT PROGRAMS SUCH AS SPECIALIZED FOSTER HOMES, GROUP HOMES, AND COMMUNITY DAY-CARE PROGRAMS. IN REFERENCE TO THE FIRST GOAL OF INCREASED PROTECTION OF CITIZENS, DATA COLLECTED ON BOTH THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL HAVE SHOWN THAT REPORTED CRIMES HAVE CONTINUED TO RISE IN CALIFORNIA, PARALLELING INCREASES IN NATIONAL RATES. ALTHOUGH CALIFORNIA'S CRIME RATE IS CONSISTENTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATION, THIS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE SUPERIOR CRIME REPORTING SYSTEM IN THE STATE. THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM HAS EITHER INCREASED OR DECREASED PUBLIC PROTECTION IN CALIFORNIA AS MEASURED BY REPORTED CRIMES. THIS IS UNDERSTANDABLE IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT SUBSIDY CASELOADS IN TERMS OF TOTAL NUMBERS CONSTITUTE SUCH A SMALL POTENTIAL INFLUENCE ON THE TOTAL CRIME RATE PICTURE. HOWEVER, IN THE AREA OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ONLY, THERE ARE INDICATIONS WHICH SEEM TO POINT TO A DECREASE IN MEASUREABLE DELINQUENCY INDICES AFTER 1969. WHAT THIS MEANS IN TERMS OF PROBATION SUBSIDY'S IMPACT ON THE GOAL OF INCREASED PROTECTION OF CITIZENS IS UNCERTAIN AND SUBJECT TO FURTHER STUDY. TO EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OF THE SECOND GOAL, TO PERMIT A MORE EVEN ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, THE VARIANCE IN COMMITMENT RATES FOR PARTICIPATING COUNTIES WAS STUDIED FOR THE BASE PERIOD AND THE 1972-73 FISCAL YEAR. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RANGE OF COMMITMENT RATES AMONG THE PARTICIPATING SUBSIDY COUNTIES WAS REDUCED BY 44 PERCENT. IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPATING COUNTIES WERE SHOWN TO BE MORE COMPARABLE IN THEIR COMMITMENT PRACTICES IN THAT THERE WAS AN OVERALL 40 PERCENT REDUCTION IN VARIANCE IN COMMITMENT RATES. IN LIGHT OF THE ABOVE FINDINGS, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS A 'MORE EVEN ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE' UNDER PROBATION SUBSIDY AS A RESULT OF THESE INDICATORS SHOWING LESS VARIATION IN PARTICIPATING COUNTIES' COMMITMENT RATES. AT THIS TIME NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE IS YET AVAILABLE TO EVALUATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE THIRD GOAL, TO REHABILITATE OFFENDERS. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF RECENTLY COLLECTED DATA ON A MATCHED SAMPLE OF JUVENILE COURT SUBSIDY AND REGULAR PROBATION CASES REVEALED NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN THE AREA OF ARRESTS AND COURT FINDINGS (SUBSEQUENT SUSTAINED PETITIONS). FINALLY, DATA WAS PRESENTED SHOWING THAT COMMITMENTS TO THE STATE FROM PARTICIPATING SUBSIDY COUNTIES HAD BEEN REDUCED IN THE 1972-73 FISCAL YEAR BY 50 PERCENT FROM THE BASE PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, DATA INDICATES THERE HAS BEEN NO INCREASE IN THE USE OF LOCAL INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES AS A RESULT OF THE SUBSIDY PROGRAM. FROM THIS INFORMATION, IT MAY BE CONCLUDED THAT THE PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING ITS FOURTH GOAL, TO REDUCE THE NECESSITY FOR COMMITMENT OF PERSONS TO STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)