EVALUATION IN JUVENILE CORRECTIONS (FROM INTRODUCTION TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - TEXT AND READINGS, 1978 BY P F CROMWELL, JR., G G KILLINGER, R C SARRI, AND H M SOLOMON - SEE NCJ-45572)

• NCJ Number: 45579
• Author(s): R C SARRI; E SELO
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: West Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

PROBLEMS TO BE CONSIDERED IN EVALUATING JUVENILE CORRECTIONS PROGRAM ARE LISTED AND SELECTED FINDINGS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONS GIVEN.

Abstract

EFFORT, LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE, ADEQUACY OF PERFORMANCE RELATIVE COST OF PROGRAM, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES ARE ALL FACTORS WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN EVALUATION GREATER DEPTH. THIS STUDY FOUND THAT COMMUNITY-BASED RECIDIVISM ARE OFTEN THE ONLY CRITERIA SELECTED. THE DESIGN OF THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONS (NAJC) STUDY IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. EXTENSIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF, YOUTH, OFFICIAL RECORDS, AND PARENT OR STATE AGENCIES CONNECTED WITH THE 922 JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS KNOWN TO EXIST IN 1972. A SMAPLE OF 42 UNITS IN 16 STATES WAS STUDIED IN GREATER DEPTH THIS STUDY FOUND THAT COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS ARE UTILIZED MORE THAN INSTITUTIONAL CARE IN ONLY FOUR STATES; IN FOUR MORE THE NUMBERS IN BOTH INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS WERE ROUGHLY EQUAL. HOWEVER, COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS WERE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR INSTITUTIONAL CARE. RATHER, THEY WERE USED IN ADDITION TO INSTITUTIONAL INCARCERATION, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER STATE CONTROL TO LEVELS HIGHER THAN FOUND WITH INSTITUTIONS ALONE. MINORITIES ACCOUNTED FOR 54 PERCENT OF INSTITUTIONALIZED JUVENILES, 46 PERCENT IN COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, AND 66 PERCENT IN DAY TREATMENT PROGRAMS. MEAN AGE FOR THE THREE TYPES OF PROGRAMS WERE 15.7 YEARS, 16.7 YEARS, AND 16.2 YEARS. GENERALLY, THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS WERE USED FOR LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES; 45 PERCENT OF THE MALES AND 87 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES IN DAY TREATMENT HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF STATUS OFFENSES. IN INSTITUTIONS STATUS OFFENDERS ACCOUNT FOR 23 PERCENT OF MALES AND 50 PERCENT OF FEMALES. AS HAS BEEN FOUND BY OTHER SURVEYS, FEMALES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED IN ALL JUVENILE PROGRAMS FOR CRIMES WHICH ARE OFTEN IGNORED IF COMMITTED BY BOYS (TRUANCY, RUNNING AWAY, CURFEW VIOLATIONS). THE NAJC SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT A BALANCE BETWEEN CONTROL AND PERMISSIVENESS SEEMED TO PRODUCE THE MOST DESIREABLE LONG-RANGE BEHAVIOR CHANGES. PUNISHMENT OF SPECIFIC MISDEEDS RAHTER THAN INFRACTIONS OF ARBITRARY RULES REGARDING DRESS AND CONDUCT WAS MOST BENEFICIAL. IN GENERAL, YOUNG PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY-TYPE PROGRAMS FOUND THE SCHOOLING TO BE OF GREATER HELP. BOTH INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNTIY PROGRAMS HAD 40 PERCENT OF THE HIGHER NONPARTICIPATION RATES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, BUT THOSE WHO DID PARTICIPATE FOUND THEM OF MUCH HELP. THE STUDY IS CALLED PRELIMINARY BUT USEFUL IN EVALUATING CORRECTIONAL POLICIES AND POSSIBLE PROGRAMS. (GLR)