Community Corrections Partnership: Examining the Long-Term Effects of Youth Participation in an Afrocentric Diversion Program

• NCJ Number: 190482
• Journal: Crime & Delinquency Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 558-572
• Author(s): William R. King; Stephen T. Holmes; Martha L. Henderson; Edward J. Latessa
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the long-term effects of youth participation in an Afrocentric diversion program.

Abstract

Using Afrocentric techniques has recently emerged as a promising way to deliver services to African Americans. A number of researchers have argued that African Americans are better served, especially by substance abuse services, when service delivery uses Afrocentric techniques. This study evaluated an Afrocentric treatment program called the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) for male, juvenile, felony offenders in one city. The evaluation used a two-group, quasi-experimental design to compare the 281 African American youths in the Afrocentric treatment program with a comparison group of 140 probation youths. Overall, the youths assigned to the Afrocentric treatment program performed slightly better than the probationers on 4 out of 15 measures of juvenile and adult criminality. While CCP had a modest effect on youth behavior, both during and after supervision, the positive effects were not evident during adulthood. The groups reoffend at the same rate after their 18th birthdays. Tables, notes, references