EVALUATION OF JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS - ANNUAL REPORT, 2D, SEPTEMBER 1976

• NCJ Number: 38702
• Author(s): M BOHNSTEDT
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 45 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: California Office of Criminal Justice Planning
• Corporate Author: California Dept of the Youth Authority
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A REPORT ON THE SECOND YEAR OF A THREE-YEAR STUDY AND EVALUATION OF CALIFORNIA JUVENILE DIVERSION PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING.

Abstract

THE EVALUATION OF JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS (EJDP) HAS INVESTIGATED THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS: 1) TO WHAT EXTENT DID THE DIVERSION PROGRAM DIVERT ITS CLIENTS FROM THE TRADITIONAL JUSTICE SYSTEM? 2) WHAT DID THE PROGRAM COST PER CLIENT? AND 3) TO WHAT EXTENT DID THE PROGRAM REDUCE SUBSEQUENT DELINQUENCY OF ITS CLIENTS? THE EJDP DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN 'DIVERSION CLIENTS', WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN PROCESSED FURTHER IF DIVERSION PROJECTS HAD NOT BEEN AVAILABLE, AND 'PREVENTION CLIENT'S, WHO WERE NOT SUBJECT TO CERTAIN JUSTICE SYSTEM PROCESSING, BUT WERE PROVIDED SERVICES TO PREVENT FUTURE DELINQUENCY. AS OF JUNE 1976, EJDP HAD ANALYZED DATA ON 8 OF THE 15 DIVERSION PROJECTS TO BE EVALUATED. THIS REPORT PRESENTS INFORMATION ON THOSE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING DATA ON CLIENTS, SOURCES OF REFERRALS, NUMBERS OF DIVERSION AND PREVENTION CLIENTS, EXPENDITURES, AND RECIDIVISM OF CLIENTS. THE STUDY FOUND THAT LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE CLIENTS HANDLED WERE DIVERSION CLIENTS; THAT THE AVERAGE DIVERSION PROJECT COST PER CLIENT WAS 195 DOLLARS, COMPARED TO A JUSTICE SYSTEM COST OF 269 DOLLARS; AND THAT 3 OF THE 8 PROJECTS APPEAR TO HAVE REDUCED DELINQUENCY OF THEIR CLIENTS. IMPLICATIONS OF THESE RESULTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)