Evaluation of the South Oxnard Challenge Project 1997-2001

• NCJ Number: 208531
• Author(s): Susan Turner; Amber Schroeder; Terry Fain; Jodi Lane; Joan Petersilia
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 91 pages
• Corporate Author: RAND
• Sale Source: RAND
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded January 27, 2005.

Annotation

This report provides the final report and evaluation of Ventura County, California’s South Oxnard Challenge Project (SOCP), designed to offer a multi-agency response to juvenile delinquency.

Abstract

Although rates of adult crime declined in the 1990’s, youth crime continued to increase. In response, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 1760 in 1996 establishing the Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Accountability Challenge Grants, to be awarded to counties for the development of comprehensive, multi-agency responses to juvenile delinquency. The SOCP obtained a “Challenge” grant to develop an innovative and collaborative approach to reducing juvenile delinquency based on Clear’s “Corrections of Place” theory, a restorative approach that incorporates offenders, victims, and community members in the process of juvenile justice. “Corrections of Place” theory applies restorative justice and community policing principles to juvenile probation while also incorporating a response to the situational factors that make juvenile crime possible. The program targeted youth between the ages of 12 and 18 years who had a citation or probation violation or scored in the high range on a local risk assessment instrument. Multi-agency teams collaborated on cases and provided treatment groups, community services, and recreation opportunities. The evaluation utilized a randomized experimental design with 539 eligible youth; half were placed in the SOCP program and half were assigned to routine probation supervision to examine the impact of the SOCP program on three measures of recidivism: referrals/arrests, sustained petitions/convictions, and juvenile and adult commitments to an institution. Results revealed similar outcomes for both groups during the intervention and follow-up periods on all three recidivism measures. Recidivism during follow-up was higher for both groups than during the intervention. Recommendations include improving staff training and gaining greater department commitment. Future research should continue to examine innovative approaches to serving the juvenile offender population. Tables, figures, references, appendix