NCJ Number
67481
Date Published
1980
Length
42 pages
Annotation
AN EXTERNAL EVALUATION BY A PRIVATE COMPANY OF THE SECOND YEAR OF OPERATION OF THE ERIE COUNTY (BUFFALO) TASC PROGRAM FOR THE TREATMENT OF DRUG OFFENDERS ON A CONDITIONAL PRETRIAL RELEASE, IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
TASC'S IMPACT ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ON THE TREATMENT COMMUNITY WAS THE MAJOR FOCUS OF THE EVALUATION. THE EVALUATORS ALSO STUDIED TASC'S CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS, CLIENT FLOW, AND COST EFFECTIVENESS, COST COMPARISON, AND COST BENEFIT. MOST CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM RESPONDENTS FELT THAT TASC WAS A VALUABLE RESOURCE AND WISHED TO SEE TASC BECOME INCREASINGLY INVOLVED IN CASE DISPOSITIONS, RATHER THAN BEING LIMITED TO THE PRETRIAL STAGE. EVEN WITHIN THAT NARROW SCOPE, HOWEVER, JAIL PERSONNEL SUGGESTED THAT TASC'S IMPACT HAD NOT BEEN EVIDENT: THE PERCENTAGE OF INCARCERANTS IN THE OFFENSE CATEGORIES MOST CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE (AND THEREFORE WITH TASC SERVICES) WAS NOT REDUCED. WITH REGARD TO TASC'S IMPACT ON THE TREATMENT COMMUNITY, THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN DURING THE FIRST YEAR. LOW CLIENT CENSUS REMAINED A SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLE TO TASC'S ATTAINMENT OF COST EFFICIENCY: IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT TASC WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN LESS THAN 1 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DIVERSIONS IN 1979 AND IN 3 CASES PER 1,000 DISPOSITIONS. HOWEVER, TASC'S IMPACT WAS CONSIDERABLE IN DRUG CASES, ACCOUNTING FOR 75 PERCENT OF THE CONDITIONAL DISCHARGES AND 25 PERCENT OF THE PROBATIONED CASES IN CITY COURT. ITS IMPACT WAS INCREASINGLY FELT IN OUTPATIENT PROGRAMS WITH A CLIENTELE CONSISTING CHIEFLY OF BLACK MARIJUANA AND HASHISH USERS IN THE 18-25 AGE GROUPS. COSTWISE, THE SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF TASC'S PROGRAMS ARE SMALL IN TERMS OF REDUCED TRIAL AND INCARCERATION EXPENSES, BUT ITS LONG TERM COST BENEFITS (E.G., INCREASED EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT, DECREASED CRIME AND DRUG USE) ARE EXPECTED TO BE FAR GREATER. THE CLOSING OF OVERLAPPING PROGRAMS WILL ENABLE TASC TO ACQUIRE MORE DISPOSITIONAL REFERRALS IN A NONCOMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. STATISTICAL AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED IN THE TEXT.