NCJ Number
105230
Date Published
1987
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The first part of an evaluation of a 2-year, federally funded program to target serious repeat juvenile offenders for special prosecution and correctional services focuses on descriptions of the program's operations and outcomes.
Abstract
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded the Habitual Serious and Violent Juvenile Offender (HSVJOP) starting in mid-1984 at 14 locations nationwide. Federal funding was to end after 2 years. This first part of a 3-year evaluation gathered information between fall 1984 and summer 1986. It focused on the operations of the programs, the views of staff and other observers about the strength and weakness of the approached use, and forecasts of the program's future when Federal funding ceases. Data sources included case-specific information on more than 2,500 program intakes, interviews with more than 200 project staff and other local criminal justice system personnel, 2 small surveys, and program documents. The typical case involves a nonwhite male age 16 or over and charged with burglary or a violent offense. More than 70 percent have been formally adjudicated more than once in the past. The time between filing and processing averaged 54 days for guilty pleas and 76 days for cases involving trials. Guilty findings occurred in 79.5 percent of cases. The program is viewed as having a positive impact on the juvenile justice system. The program is not solving the problem of lack of suitable correctional alternatives for serious offenders, but it is helping opening lines of communication between agencies and creating opportunities to plan solutions. For the full report, see NCJ-105231.