NCJ Number
82906
Date Published
1982
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The report describes the scope of the national evaluation as well as a smaller study of the impact of diversion dispositions and services on youths served in four projects.
Abstract
The national evaluation included an analysis of the impact of diversion on youth and on the juvenile justice system, a cost analysis, and a process analysis. The four projects focused on in this report were: (1) Midwest, operated jointly by the city government and local police and as its unique feature employing a case advocacy model; (2) Upper South, run by a nonprofit organization and providing mainly counseling services; (3) Lower South, operated by a nonprofit organization and emphasizing recreation services; (4) East, run by local transit police and a college and allowing case managers to determine whether clients needed services. The projects succeeded at meeting many of the criteria of true diversion. All clients were referred by justice agencies as a result of delinquent acts, and three projects reduced the penetration of youth through the justice system. The projects were less coercive, less controlling, and more oriented to meeting clients' needs than comparable justice agencies. However, a diversion disposition was not more successful in avoiding stigma, improving social adjustment, or reducing delinquent behavior than normal justice processing or outright release. Cost data indicate startling cost differences between sites, a weak relationship between costs and number of referrals, higher than average costs for more than half the projects, and the least costly justice disposition alternative as diversion with no costs. Because these findings were consistent across four replications of the same study at different sites, they cannot be dismissed as unimportant. They have serious implications for the future of diversion programming. The research design and methodology are explained. One footnote appears. For the full report, see NCJ 80830.