NCJ Number
15590
Date Published
1974
Length
110 pages
Annotation
AN INTRODUCTION TO EVALUATION RESEARCH, A REVIEW OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF JUVENILE DIVERSION WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIVERSION PROGRAM IN RICHMOND, AND EVALUATION RESULTS.
Abstract
A METHODOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION TO EVALUATION RESEARCH, INCLUDING SUCH TOPICS AS MODELS OF PROGRAM EVALUATION AND APPLIED VERSUS BASIC RESEARCH IS FIRST PRESENTED. THE JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM INCLUDES CRISIS INTERVENTION, POLICE REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCIES, DRUG EDUCATION, AND COUNSELING. MEASURES USED WERE RATES OF REPEAT OFFENSES, LAG-TIME BETWEEN OFFENSE AND FIRST SERVICE CONTACT, THE INCREASE IN NUMBER OF REFERRAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO JUVENILE OFFICERS, AND IMPROVED SCHOOL FUNCTIONING OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS. RESULTS FOR THE DIVERSION GROUP WERE COMPARED TO PRE-DIVERSION PROGRAM STATISTICS. ALSO, RESULTS WERE COMPARED FOR INDIVIDUAL DECISION GROUPS, POLICE DIVERSION COUNSELING GROUPS, GROUPS REFERRED TO A COMMUNITY AGENCY, AND A PROBATION GROUP. RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN REPEAT OFFENSES FOR ALL FIRST OFFENDERS RECEIVING A DIVERSION DISPOSITION, HOWEVER, THE EXPERIMENT WAS HINDERED BY AN INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SUBJECTS. TABLES OF VARIATIONS AS A FUNCTION OF REPEAT OFFENDERS AND OF DISPOSITION ANALYSES ARE ALSO PRESENTED.