DIVERSION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS - INITIAL SUCCESS AND REPLICATION OF AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

• NCJ Number: 53961
• Author(s): W S DAVIDSON; E SEIDMAN; J RAPPAPORT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH22336
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Institute for Computer Sciences
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION, WASHINGTON, D C, FEBRUARY 22-24, 1977 PRESENTED AT AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, WASHINGTON, D C, SEPTEMBER 1976

Annotation

AN EVALUATION IS PRESENTED OF A JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM INVOLVING 28 MALE AND 9 FEMALE DELINQUENTS AND COLLEGE STUDENT NONPROFESSIONALS AS SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Abstract

THE PROJECT PAIRED STUDENTS AND JUVENILES ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS TO DETEMINE WHO WORKS BESTS WITH WHOM USING SPECIFIC TRAINING TECHNIQUES. AFTER FORMAL REFERRAL OF THE 37 YOUTHS BY THE JUVENILE OFFICERS OF TWO METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AN INTERVIEW WAS HELD WITH EACH JUVENILE AND AT LEAST ONE PARENT. FOLLOWING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM AND THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER GAULT, A PREASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED CONSISTING OF YOUTH, PARENT, AND YOUTH-NOMINATED PEER VERBAL REPORTS ON FOUR ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS, ALL PERTAINING TO THE YOUTHS' BEHAVIOR AND PERCEPTIONS. IN ADDITION, POLICE, COURT, AND SCHOOL RECORDS WERE REVIEWED COVERING 1 YEAR PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM AND THE TIMESPAN OF THE PROGRAM ITSELF; FOLLOWUP DATA COLLECTED FOR A 2-YEAR POSTPROGRAM PERIOD. THE COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE YOUTH FOLLOWING PREASSESSMENT, WITH EVERY EFFORT BEING MADE TO MATCH THE STUDENT AND YOUTH ON THE BASIS OF MUTUAL INTERESTS, RACE, AND SEX. THE STUDENTS INTTIATED CONTACT BY PHONE AND THEREAFTER MET WITH THE YOUTH 6 TO 8 HOURS PER WEEK FOR AN AVERAGE OF 4 1/2 MONTHS. STRATEGIES USED BY THE STUDENTS ARE DESCRIBED AS A CONGLOMERATE EFFORT INVOLVING THE INGREDIENTS OF RELATIONSHIP SKILLS, BEHAVIORAL CONTRACTING, AND CHILD ADVOCACY. TO GAUGE THE EFFECTS OF SUCH COUNSELING, A SIMILAR CONTROL SAMPLE WAS SIMILARLY ASSESSED BUT DENIED ACCESS TO A STUDENT AIDE. WHILE THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT STATISTICAL CHANGES ON ANY OF THE VERBAL REPORT MEASURES EITHER FROM THE ADOLESCENT'S, PARENT'S OR PEER'S PERSPECTIVES, AN APPARENT DRAMATIC IMPACT WAS EVIDENCED PRIMARILY BY POLICE AND COURT RECORDS AND AN ISOLATED TREND IN SCHOOLS RECORDS. WHILE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF SUBJECTS HAD FURTHER CONTACTS WITH THE POLICE, THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CONTACTS, THE SEVERITY OF CONTACTS, OR PETITIONS FILED. SCHOOL DATA REVEALED THAT 71 PERCENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP STILL ENROLLED AT THE TIME OF TERMINATION, WHILE ONLY 50 PERCENT OF THE CONTROLS WERE SO ENROLLED. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)