NCJ Number
63481
Date Published
Unknown
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THE EVALUATION FOCUSED ON THE PROGRAM'S MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPAL GOALS, ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS' SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM'S SERVICES, AND JUDGES' EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM'S USEFULNESS.
Abstract
THE PUBLIC DEFENDER SOCIAL WORKER PROGRAM OF DADE COUNTY, FLA., PROVIDES ORGANIZED SOCIAL WORK SERVICES TO CLIENTS OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE AND THUS RELIEVES ATTORNEYS OF THE NEED TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH SOCIAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT PROVIDES SOCIAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS FOR APPROPRIATE CLIENTS AND DEVELOPS INDIVIDUALIZED REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT PLANS TO ASSIST DADE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES IN THE DISCHARGE OF THEIR SENTENCING OBLIGATIONS. AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF ALL CASE FILES WAS CONDUCTED TO ASCERTAIN THE EXTENT OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO PROGRAM CLIENTS, TYPES OF REFERRALS MADE, QUALITY AND GENERAL NATURE OF THE CLIENT ASSESSMENTS AND TREATMENT PLANS, AND THE FREQUENCY OF USE BY THE VARIOUS CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES AND ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS. ALSO, A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO THOSE ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS HANDLING CASES IN THE CIRCUIT COURT CRIMINAL DIVISION, BUT ONLY 50 PERCENT RETURNED THE QUESTIONNAIRE. ANOTHER QUESTIONNAIRE WAS GIVEN TO THE CIRCUIT COURT CRIMINAL DIVISION JUDGES WITH 100-PERCENT RESPONSE. ALL DATA WERE GATHERED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 15, 1977, AND DECEMBER 15, 1977. FINDINGS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: CLIENTS WERE 40.8-PERCENT BLACK, 11.6-PERCENT LATIN, AND 47.6-PERCENT WHITE; FOR BLACKS, LATINS, AND WHITES, THE PERCENTAGE OF MALE CLIENTS FAR EXCEEDED THE PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE CLIENTS BUT THE PROGRAM APPEARED TO BE SERVING A REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER OF FEMALE CLIENTS, ESPECIALLY WHITE CLIENTS; THE PROGRAM WAS REACHING ALL CLIENTS REGARDLESS OF AGE; CLIENT NEEDS RANGED FROM SOCIALLY ALIENATED TO CHILD ABUSER; OFFENSES FACING CLIENTS WERE SERIOUS IN NATURE, FROM BREAKING AND ENTERING TO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. FINDINGS ALSO SHOWED THAT THE PROGRAM'S REFERRALS WERE VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE CLIENTS' NEED PROFILES; THE PROGRAM SERVED ALL CLIENTS, REGARDLESS OF AGE OR SEX; AND THE PROGRAM APPEARED TO HAVE GAINED THE CONFIDENCE OF MOST ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND CIRCUIT COURT CRIMINAL DIVISION JUDGES. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM INCLUDE KEEPING STATISTICS ON THE TYPE OF OFFENSE CLIENTS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH, IMPROVED RECORDKEEPING IN GENERAL, EXAMINING THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE PROGRAM'S ORIGINAL TARGET POPULATION AND THE IDENTIFIED CLIENT POPULATION, AND CONDUCTING MORE CLIENT FOLLOWUP. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)