NCJ Number
30144
Date Published
1975
Length
106 pages
Annotation
AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS PROJECT WHICH PROVIDED NON-COERCIVE PLACEMENT OF 16- AND 17-YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT DELINQUENT YOUTH IN FULL-TIME JOBS IN ORDER TO DECREASE RECIDIVISM, LATER POLICE CONTACTS, AND OFFENSE SEVERITY.
Abstract
CERP WAS OPERATED BY THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING THE 1973-74 AND 1974-75 SCHOOL YEARS. DURING THIS PERIOD, PROJECT PERSONNEL CONTACTED AN ESTIMATED 2,100 BUSINESSES TO DEVELOP FULL-TIME, CAREER-ORIENTED JOBS FOR DELINQUENT YOUTH. TO ASSIST IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, A 50 PERCENT SALARY SUBSIDY (UP TO $1 PER HOUR MAXIMUM) FOR UP TO 26 WEEKS WAS AVAILABLE. THIS RESULTED IN 110 JOB OFFERS THAT MET PROJECT CRITERIA. A TOTAL OF 642 YOUTHS WERE REFERRED FOR JOB PLACEMENT; OF THESE 281 MET CERP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. OF THE 281 ELIGIBLE YOUTH, 162 (58 PERCENT) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP TO RECEIVE CERP JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES. EXACTLY HALF (81) OF THE ELIGIBLE EXPERIMENTAL YOUTH WERE HIRED, WITH 66 BEING PLACED ONCE, 12 PLACED TWICE AND 3 PLACED 3 TIMES. THE TOTAL WEEKS WORKED BY THIS GROUP, AS OF JUNE 30, 1975, WAS 760 WEEKS, OR A MEAN AVERAGE OF 7.68 (760/99) WEEKS PER PLACEMENT, OR 9.38 (760/81) WEEKS PER PERSON. JOB DISPOSITIONS FOR THE 99 PLACEMENTS WERE AS FOLLOWS: 12 STILL WORKING AT LAST FOLLOW-UP; 23 FIRED, PLUS 1 ADDITIONAL PERSON FIRED FOR BURGLARIZING THE BUSINESS; 5 LAID OFF; 56 QUIT (3 BECAUSE THEY MOVED FROM THE AREA, 2 FOR ILLNESS, 3 TO RETURN TO SCHOOL, 3 FOR BETTER JOBS, 1 REFUSED THE JOB WHEN HIRED, AND 1 NEVER SHOWED UP FOR WORK); 1 COURT-ORDERED TO ANOTHER PROGRAM, AND 1 JOB INJURY. OF THE 81 YOUTHS PLACED, 9 WORKED FOR AT LEAST 26 WEEKS (THE LENGTH OF THE SUBSIDY). SEVEN OF THE 9 CONTINUED WORKING BEYOND 26 WEEKS. CERP FAILED TO FIND ANY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THREE DELINQUENCY MEASURES (NUMBER OF OFFENDERS, MEAN NUMBER OF OFFENSES AND SEVERITY OF OFFENSES) WHEN THE ENTIRE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. WHEN EMPLOYED EXPERIMENTAL GROUP YOUTH WERE COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP OR NON-EMPLOYED EXPERIMENTAL YOUTH, THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS ALSO OBTAINED. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND FROM THE ANALYSIS OF FOLLOWUP POLICE CONTACT DATA. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN TERMINATED. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT JOBS GAINED IN THIS MANNER, WITH TYPICALLY SHORT DURATION, DO NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)