COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO - EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 69428
• Author(s): L WINTERFIELD
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 41 pages
• Corporate Author: Office of Research and Evaluation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE STUDY EVALUATES COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS IN COLORADO FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1978-79 WITH REGARD TO THE PROGRAM TYPES, THE CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE PROGRAM OUTCOMES.

Abstract

FUNDING FOR DIVERSION AND TRANSITIONAL COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, PROVIDING ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION AND REINTEGRATION SERVICES. THE STUDY COLLECTED DATA ON COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS CLIENTS (DIVERSIONAL AND TRANSITIONAL) SERVED DURING THE STUDY PERIOD AND ON A COMPARISON GROUP OF PROBATIONERS AND PAROLEES PLACED UNDER SUPERVISION AT THE SAME TIME. THE DATA INCLUDED INTAKE INFORMATION, RATINGS OF CLIENT NEEDS, AND TERMINATION DATES. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT ALL COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROGRAMS IN COLORADO WERE CONCERNED WITH JOB PLACEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT. RESIDENTIAL DIVERSION CLIENTS WERE SHOWN TO HAVE A MORE EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL RECORD, A GREATER SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM, AND GREATER LIKELIHOOD TO BE UNEMPLOYED AT ARREST THAN THE PROBATION GROUP. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE RESIDENTIAL DIVERSION PROGRAMS ARE RECEIVING CLIENTS WITH MORE SEVERE NEEDS. THOSE CLIENTS GOING DIRECTLY FROM INSTITUTIONS TO PAROLE ARE IN MORE NEED OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES THAN THE TRANSITION GROUP. OVER 50 PERCENT OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CLIENTS WERE SUCCESSFUL AS DEFINED BY TERMINATION OF FIELD SUPERVISION. THERE WAS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROGRAM SIZE AND DIFFERENT TREATMENT MILIEUS, BUT THE LARGER PROGRAMS DID SHOW THE MOST FAVORABLE OUTCOMES. THE STAFF RATED THE PROGRAMS MORE HIGHLY THAN THE CLIENTS. SINCE THE DIVERSION SAMPLE DID SHOW DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS THAN THE PROBATION GROUP, DIVERSION APPEARS TO BE FUNCTIONING AS AN ALTERNATIVE DIFFERENT FROM PROBATION. HOWEVER, THE PAROLE SAMPLE GROUP DEMONSTRATED MORE POTENTIAL NEEDS THAN THE TRANSITIONAL GROUP. PRIORITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE PLACED ON JOBS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING. EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS SHOULD BE CONTINUOUS, AND TRANSITIONAL PROGRAMS SHOULD BE ANALYZED IN TERMS OF IMPACT ON RECIVIDISM. TABLES AND CHARTS ARE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT.