NCJ Number
19650
Date Published
1975
Length
269 pages
Annotation
A REANALYSIS OF THE CALIFORNIA TREATMENT PROJECT AND THE CALIFORNIA PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM, IN WHICH THE AUTHOR FINDS THE ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE PROGRAMS TO BE AT VARIANCE WITH THEIR ORIGINAL GOALS.
Abstract
THE FIRST HALF OF THE BOOK REEXAMINES DATA RELEVANT TO THE ACHIEVEMENTS CLAIMED FOR THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROJECT LAUNCHED IN THE SACRAMENTO-STOCKTON AREA OF CALIFONRIA IN 1961, WHILE THE SECOND HALF IS DEVOTED TO A SIMILAR ANALYSIS OF THE PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM ENACTED BY THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE IN 1965. THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROJECT HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY CITED BY NATIONAL CRIME COMMISSIONS AS A MODEL PROGRAM FOR SUBSTITUTING COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT SERVICES FOR INSTITUTIONAL CONFINEMENT. SIMILARLY, THE PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM PROVIDED A MODEL FOR DIVERTING OFFENDERS FROM STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO AN EXPANDED SET OF LOCAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES. THE AUTHOR EVALUATES CLAIMS THAT THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING CONFINEMENT OF OFFENDERS IN INSTITUTIONS AND IN LOWERING RECIDIVISM RATES, ALL AT LESS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COST TO THE STATE. HIS WORK IS BASED WHOLLY ON PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED MATERIAL, INCLUDING DOCUMENTS, RECORDS, AND REPORTS OF RESEARCH STUDIES THAT HAVE GENERALLY BEEN LESS AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN PRACTICE THESE HIGHLY REGARDED PROGRAMS ARE MORE COSTLY AND NO MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS. THE AUTHOR DEMONSTRATES THAT THE WARDS OF THE CALIFORNIA TREATMENT PROJECT EXPERIENCED MORE SOCIAL CONTROL (DETENTION) THAN TREATMENT FROM THEIR PAROLE AGENTS, DESPITE THE INTENTIONS OF THE PROGRAM'S DESIGNERS. IN ADDITION, HE PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT PROBATION SUBSIDY IS ASSOCIATED WITH LENGTHIER INSTITUTIONAL STAYS AT A STATE LEVEL AND MORE FREQUENT USE OF DETENTION AT A LOCAL LEVEL. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)