NCJ Number
16707
Date Published
1974
Length
33 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF PROGRAM TO TRAIN JUVENILE OFFICERS IN THE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES OF JUVENILE DIVERSION ON THE PHILOSOPHY THAT MANY JUVENILE OFFENSES AND CONTACTS WITH THE POLICE ARE SYMPTOMATIC OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS.
Abstract
THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM INCLUDE TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE PARTICIPATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO YOUTH, TO DECREASE REFERRALS OF JUVENILES UNDER 18 BY THE PARTICIPATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO THE JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT BY 25 PERCENT, AND TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES' CAPABILITY FOR INTERVIEWING AND DETERMINING PROPER DISPOSITION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS. THE IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY OF THE PROPOSAL INCLUDES THE FORMATION OF A COMMUNITY AGENCY ADVISORY-LIAISON GROUP, TRAINING, FOLLOW-UP TRAINING AND CASE REVIEW, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, CITATION OF JUVENILES TO JUVENILE OFFICERS RATHER THAN PROBATION, AND DIRECT COUNSELING AND REFERRALS OF JUVENILES AND FAMILIES BY JUVENILE OFFICERS. DATA HAS BEEN COMPILED ON THE DISPOSITIONS OF JUVENILE OFFENSES AND CONTACTS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT SINCE THE COMPLETION OF THE INITIAL PHASE OF TRAINING IN THE PROJECT. IT APPEARS THAT THE FIRST YEAR OF THE MARIN COUNTY POLICE DIVERSION PROJECT IS AN IMPORTANT SUCCESS, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES SPECIFIED IN THE PROJECT DESIGN AND IN TERMS OF THE CREATION OF A VIABLE DIVERSION SYSTEM WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MARIN COUNTY. IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT THE EXPOSURE OF THE JUVENILE OFFICERS TO REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES, SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND OTHERS CONCERNED WITH YOUTHS IN THE MARIN COMMUNITY HAS GREATLY INCREASED THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS' RELATIONSHIPS WITH AGENCIES AND THE COMMUNITY GENERALLY, AS WELL AS WITH THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THEM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)