NCJ Number
67590
Date Published
1979
Length
32 pages
Annotation
A STUDY CONDUCTED TO ESTABLISH GUIDELINES TO ASSIST DECISIONMAKING PERSONNEL IN DETERMINING SUCCESSFUL MISDEMEANANT HALFWAY HOUSE PARTICIPANTS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE USED FOR THE STUDY IS A SUBSAMPLE OF ALL COURT-ORDERED AND DETENTION SERVICES-INITIATED MISDEMEANANTS IN 1975 THROUGH 1978. THE POPULATION TOTALED 641. FOR THIS ANALYSIS, THE SUBSAMPLE CONSISTED OF CASES WHICH TERMINATED FROM THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER PROGRAMS DURING 1978. A TOTAL OF 154 CASES WERE ANALYZED. OF THE 154 CASES, 64.3 PERCENT COMPLETED THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER PROGRAMS SUCCESSFULLY. THERE WERE 9.1 PERCENT EVALUATED WHO TERMINATED UNSUCCESSFULLY, AND 7.8 PERCENT HAD NEUTRAL TERMINATIONS, I.E., TRANSFER. THE TYPICAL MISDEMEANANT IN THE STUDY WAS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 29 YEARS, HAD SOME HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, WAS SINGLE, AND WAS UNEMPLOYED. THE OFFENDER DID NOT HAVE A KNOWN HISTORY OF EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL USE OR DRUG ABUSE AND WAS MOST OFTEN CHARGED WITH SOME TYPE OF PROPERTY OFFENSE SUCH AS PETIT LARCENY. IF THE OFFENDER HAD A PRIOR CONVICTION, IT WAS USUALLY FOR THE SAME OFFENSE. MOST MISDEMEANANTS WERE NOT INCARCERATED PRIOR TO SENTENCING. OF THOSE THAT WERE, THE MEAN LENGTH OF STAY IN JAIL WAS 75 DAYS. OF THE VARIABLES TESTED FOR PERFORMANCE PREDICTION, TWO WERE FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERFORMANCE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER. THESE VARIABLES WERE 'LENGTH OF SENTENCE' AND 'PRIOR CONVICTION FOR THE SAME OFFENSE.' SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN A HALFWAY HOUSE PROGRAM COULD BE CORRECTLY CLASSIFIED INTO GROUPS OF SUCCESSES AND FAILURES BY THE USE OF DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS. THE VARIABLE 'NARCOTIC USE' WAS FOUND TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT. OTHER SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES INCLUDED NUMBER OF TIMES INSTITUTIONALIZED, EMPLOYMENT STATUS, OCCUPATIONAL STATUS, AND VIOLATIONS OF CONDITIONS OF RELEASE WHILE ON BOND. EXTENSIVE TABLES ARE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).