NCJ Number
161487
Date Published
1992
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The Violence Intervention Probation Services (VIPS), a New Mexico program for juvenile offenders funded through the New Mexico Department of Public Safety with Department of Justice funds, was evaluated with respect to the effectiveness of the program components and the outcomes of participating group and a matched group of juvenile offenders not in the program.
Abstract
VIPS had three components: (1) an intensive probation program; (2) an educational component consisting of a 3- month intensive curriculum in conflict management, problemsolving, and drug education for juvenile offenders and their parents; and (3) group counseling sessions focusing on reducing juveniles' anger levels while encouraging pro-social behaviors. The analysis revealed that the program has produced a very modest impact on the numbers of youth committed to State juvenile institutions. No significant differences occurred in either the rate of new offenses or the seriousness of subsequent referrals among the VIPS and non-VIPS youths. Participating in and completing group counseling sessions and avoiding drug use during the program seemed to be the best predictors of successfully completing the VIPS obligation. Findings indicated the desirability of including the VIPS option for all youths for whom institutional commitment would otherwise be considered and assessing all potential clients to determine whether their anger levels are high enough and their anger management levels are low enough to justify program intervention. Additional recommendations and figures