NASSAU COUNTY (NY) TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME - EVALUATION - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 62639
• Author(s): T W MACCAHILL; A M FISCHMAN; S O PRESTON; G J MITCHELL
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 105 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Ecta Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS REPORT PRESENTS EVALUATION FINDINGS FOR THE FIRST GRANT PERIOD OF THE NASSAU COUNTY TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME (TASC) PROGRAM IN NEW YORK.

Abstract

THE NASSAU COUNTY TASC, 1 OF MORE THAN 40 TASC PROGRAMS FUNDED BY LEAA, FOLLOWS A CONVENTIONAL PRETRIAL INTERVENTION MODEL AND IS COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING UNITS: (1) A SCREEN AND COURT LIAISON UNIT (SCLU), RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERVIEWING PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS TO DETERMINE IF THEY SATISFY DRUG ABUSE AND CRIMINAL HISTORY CRITERIA; (2) A DIAGNOSTIC UNIT, RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING NEEDS ASSESSMENTS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED BY SCLU AS ELIGIBLE TO TASC, WRITING DETAILED PSYCHOSOCIAL HISTORIES, AND REFERRING PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES; (3) A TRACKING UNIT, RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THE PROGRESS OF TASC CLIENTS IN TREATMENT; AND (4) AN ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT, RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE OTHER THREE UNITS. EVALUATORS BEGUN THEIR WORK IN 1978, USING A VARIETY OF METHODS, INCLUDING SITE VISITS, FILE REVIEWS, OBSERVATION, AND CASE MONITORING. THIS PROGRAM EVALUATION OBSERVED THAT (1) IN ITS FIRST YEAR, NASSAU COUNTY TASC HAS ADMITTED 397 CLIENTS; (2) THE PROGRAM HAS SUCCEEDED IN REFERRING TO TREATMENT INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS DRUG INVOLVEMENT (THE CLIENT POPULATION IS CHARACTERIZED BY HARD-CORE DRUG ABUSE RATHER THAN EXPERIMENTATION); (3) NASSAU TASC HAS SUCCESSFULLY FOCUSED ON INDIVIDUALS WHOSE PRIMARY DRUG OF ABUSE IS ALCOHOL; (4) OVER 60 PERCENT OF CLIENTS REFERRED TO TREATMENT WERE CURRENTLY CHARGED WITH FELONIES; AND (5) NASSAU CLIENTS TEND TO BE WHITE MALES WHO ARE EMPLOYED, HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED, AND EARNING AT LEAST $5,000 PER ANNUM. THE NASSAU TASC PROGRAM HAS ALREADY ACHIEVED COST EFFECTIVENESS, PROVIDES AN ANNUAL COST BENEFIT OF $958,060 IN REDUCED JAIL AND COURT COSTS ALONE. IN GENERAL, NASSAU TASC IS BEST DESCRIBED AS A 'TURNAROUND' PROGRAM. AFTER THE INITIAL PROGRAM REORGANIZATION, BUREAUCRATIC RESISTANCE TO THE PROGRAM WAS REDUCED AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONFUSION WAS ALLEVIATED AND COMPARES FAVORABLY WITH OTHER TASC PROGRAMS. THE REPORT INCLUDED TABULAR DATA. (PRG)