NCJ Number
62933
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY OF 650 COUNTIES CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE EXISTING AND DESIRED PROGRAMS FOR STATUS OFFENDERS AND DELINQUENT YOUTH.
Abstract
SURVEYS WERE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNTYS' CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HAVE THE QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY THAT PERSON KNOWING THE MOST ABOUT THE COUNTY'S JUVENILE JUSTICE NETWORK. OF THE 650 QUESTIONNAIRES MAILED, 221 (34 PERCENT) WERE RETURNED. OF THE 221 COUNTIES RESPONDING, 71 HAD A POPULATION UNDER 100,000; 64 HAD A POPULATION OF 100,000 TO 250,000; AND 86 HAD A POPULATION ABOVE 250,000. RESULTS SHOW THAT HOME DETENTION, HALFWAY HOUSES, RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES AND TREATMENT, AND 24-HOUR CRISIS CENTERS ARE IN MORE DEMAND IN URBAN COUNTIES THAN IN SUBURBAN AND RURAL COUNTIES. GROUP HOMES, RUNAWAY SHELTERS, EMPLOYMENT (TRAINING AND PLACEMENT), INTAKE AND DIAGNOSIS, AND SECURE DETENTION RANK AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL IN BOTH URBAN AND SUBURBAN COUNTIES IN TERMS OF FELT NEED. SHELTER CARE AND SECURE DETENTION ARE THE ONLY PROGRAMS INDICATED AS DESIRABLE IN MORE RURAL THAN URBAN OR SUBURBAN COUNTIES. COUNSELING SERVICES ARE NEEDED MORE IN SUBURBAN COUNTIES THAN IN BOTH URBAN OR RURAL COUNTIES. THE DESIRE FOR FOSTER HOMES IS ABOUT THE SAME IN ALL TYPES OF COUNTIES. A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF URBAN COUNTIES INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SUFFICIENT JUVENILE JUSTICE SERVICES. URBAN COUNTIES DID NOT MENTION NEEDING RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS; WHEREAS, NOMINAL NEED WAS INDICATED FOR SUBURBAN AND RURAL COUNTIES. SCHOOL SUSPENSION ALTERNATIVES WERE MENTIONED ONLY IN SUBURBAN COUNTIES. THE SURVEY SHOWED AN OVERWHELMING DESIRE BY COUNTIES TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON ALTERNATIVE DISPOSITIONAL PROCESSES. GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED ON THE TYPES OF SERVICES DESIRED BY VARIOUS TYPES OF COUNTIES. (RCB)