Community Development in Delinquency Prevention Programs: The Experience of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Projects

• NCJ Number: 139204
• Author(s): W Lawrence
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 135 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-IN-AX-00-2
• Sponsoring Agency: US Securities and Exchange Cmssn
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency Research Ctr
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The role of community development in juvenile delinquency prevention was examined using data from four communities served by two Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) projects where systematic effort occurred to implement a strategy of community development.

Abstract

The four communities were located in Boston, Ma. and Tuskegee, Ala. The analysis added data to previous national evaluation data, using interviews with project staff, community residents, and staff of youth-related agencies; analysis of project records; and observation of project activities. Findings indicated that the OJJDP programs offered a poor test of the ability of community development to contribute to delinquency prevention, because the communities did not carry out distinct sets of activities based on community development strategy. Results indicated the need for programs to proceed from a well conceptualized and specified community development approach. In addition, future projects should specify objectives clearly and should be long-term projects. 48 references