EVALUATION OF A JUVENILE COURT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 61207
• Journal: Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (1978) Pages: 328-333
• Author(s): R J BERGER; M GOLD
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 6 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Clinical Psychology Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF THREE SEPARATE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS AND IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS (UNDER ONE COURT) STUDIED WERE A VOLUNTEER PROBATION OFFICER PROGRAM (VPO PROGRAM), A TUTORING PROGRAM, AND GROUP COUNSELING. THE VPO PROGRAM CONSISTED OF ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY SEEING PROBATIONERS IN A ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP SIMILAR TO THE BIG BROTHER AND BIG SISTER PROGRAMS. TUTORS WORKED WITH THE PROBATIONERS ON ACADEMIC PROBLEMS, AND IN GROUP COUNSELING, LAY LEADERS CONDUCTED DISCUSSIONS WITH GROUPS OF PROBATIONERS OF THE SAME SEX OR WITH THEIR PARENTS, FOCUSING ON COMMON PROBLEMS AND ISSUES. THE RESEARCH DESIGN CONSISTED OF RANDOM ASSIGNMENT OF SUBJECTS TO PARTICIPANT AND CONTROL GROUPS AT THE TIME OF THEIR REFERRAL AND THEN OBSERVING THEM PERIODICALLY FOR A YEAR AFTER PARTICIPATION. FOUR MEASURES OF DELINQUENCY WERE USED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS: (1) POLICE CONTACTS, (2) MAXIMUM PENETRATION INTO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, (3) FREQUENCY OF CHARGEABLE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR DETERMINED FROM SUBJECT INTERVIEWS, AND (4) SERIOUSNESS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR BY WEIGHING SOME INCIDENTS MORE HEAVILY THAN OTHERS. RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE VPO PROGRAM COUNSELING HAD A NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT ON REDUCING PROBATIONERS' DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR WHEN COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP. YOUTHS INVOLVED IN THE VOLUNTEER TUTORING PROGRAM INCREASED THEIR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF THEIR PROBATION; HOWEVER, 1 YEAR AFTER PROBATION, THE DIFFERENCES WERE NEGLIGIBLE. IT IS APPARENT FROM THESE RESULTS AND OTHER STUDIES THAT AS LONG AS THE COURT IS VIEWED AS A COERCIVE AGENCY BY RECIPIENTS OF ITS SERVICES, SUCH SERVICES WILL NOT REDUCE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE COURT SHOULD DIVEST ITSELF OF DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICES AND APPLY ITS RESOURCES TO JUDICIAL PROCESSING, REFERRAL, AND ADVOCACY. GRAPHIC DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)