NCJ Number
59559
Date Published
1979
Length
281 pages
Annotation
THIS THIRD ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT, PREPARED BY THE COLORADO DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES, EVALUATES 14 STATE-FUNDED JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS AND INCLUDES PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS, DATA, AND SEVERAL STUDIES.
Abstract
SEPARATE EVALUATION STUDIES INCLUDED A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, A UNIT-COST STUDY, AN AVERAGE DAILY CASELOAD STUDY, AND A RECIDIVISM STUDY. RECIDIVISM RATES AND DEMOGRAPHIC AND OFFENSE HISTORY INFORMATION ON ALL CLIENTS SERVED ARE PROVIDED FOR EACH PROGRAM. THE STUDIES COVER THE PERIOD FROM JULY 1, 1976, TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1978. A NUMBER OF THE PROGRAMS SERVE DIFFERENT CLIENT GROUPS AS TO SEX, AGE, ETHNICITY, REFERRAL SOURCE, LEVEL OF PREVIOUS PENETRATION INTO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, NUMBERS AND SERIOUSNESS OF PRIOR OFFENSES, AND KIND OF REFERRAL OFFENSE. PROGRAMS PROVIDE DIFFERENT SERVICES, SERVED CLIENTS FOR DIFFERING LENGTHS OF TIME, AND OPERATE IN URBAN, SUBURBAN, OR RURAL SETTINGS. A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED ON THE 10 JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS WHICH RECEIVED CONTINUATION FUNDING IN 1978-79. THE TOTAL COST SAVINGS ACCRUING FROM THE 10 PROGRAMS FOR 1977-78 IS ESTIMATED TO BE $1,302,315. THUS, DIVERSION IS SHOWN TO BE A COST-BENEFICIAL ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE PROCESSING. A UNIT-COST STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE TYPE, AMOUNT, AND COSTS OF DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED TO YOUTH BY THE 13 PROGRAMS UNDER STATE FUNDING BEFORE OCTOBER 1978. STAFF HOURS OF SERVICE DELIVERY WERE THE BASIC MEASUREMENT UNIT. THE MEAN COST PER HOUR OF SERVICES FOR THE 13 PROGRAMS WAS $7.24 AND THE MEDIAN WAS $7.32. GENERALLY, THE DATA INDICATED THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE OPERATING AT COMPARABLE, EFFICIENT LEVELS OF DELIVERY. FOR EACH OF THE 14 STATE-FUNDED JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS, DAILY ACTIVE CASELOAD FIGURES WERE COLLECTED FROM JANUARY 1978 THROUGH OCTOBER 1978 FOR THE FOUR CATEGORIES OF INTAKE/NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DIRECT SERVICES, FOLLOWUP FOR DIRECT SERVICE CLIENTS, AND FOLLOWUP FOR BROKERAGE CLIENTS. TOTAL AVERAGE DAILY CASELOADS RANGED FROM 11.5 TO 393.3 FOR ALL THE PROGRAMS. PERTINENT INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED ON THE 4,321 YOUTHS REFERRED TO 13 OF THE STATE-FUNDED JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS FROM THE TIME EACH PROGRAM CAME UNDER STATE FUNDING THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 1978. BASED ON THE CLIENT MIX DATA, THE PROGRAMS APPEAR TO BE SERVING AN APPROPRIATE YOUTH POPULATION AND ARE SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM RATES. EXTENSIVE TABULAR DATA AND SEVERAL APPENDIXES ARE INCLUDED WITH MANY OF THE INDIVIDUAL STUDIES. (PRG)