NCJ Number
66286
Date Published
1979
Length
30 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES SEVEN YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS FUNDED BY THE NEW JERSEY STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PLANNING AGENCY, USING DATA ON CLIENTS AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED TO THEM.
Abstract
YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS ARE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FORMED TO PROVIDE SERVICES OUTSIDE THE FORMAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, TO REDUCE THE STRAINS PROVOKING DELINQUENCY. YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS TOOK PART IN THE DESIGN OF THE DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS USED IN THIS REPORT. DATA WERE GATHERED BETWEEN MAY 8, 1978, AND JULY 1, 1978. RESULTS SHOWED DRAMATIC VARIATIONS AMONG PROGRAMS IN THE PROPORTIONS OF CLIENTS REFERRED FROM SOURCES WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. MOST CLIENTS WERE MALES BETWEEN AGE 13 AND 17. THE PROPORTIONS OF CLIENTS WITH PRIOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM VARIED FROM 13 PERCENT AT ONE BUREAU TO 54 PERCENT AT ANOTHER BUREAU. THE PROPORTION OF CLIENTS FOR WHOM FORMAL DIAGNOS ASSESSMENTS WERE CONDUCTED RANGED FROM 7 PERCENT TO 36 PERCENT. AT SIX OF THE BUREAUS, INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING AND FAMILY COUNSELING WERE THE MAIN SERVICES PROVIDED. FEW CLIENTS WERE REFERRED TO OTHER COMMUNITY AGENCIES. EFFORTS AT FOLLOWUP CONTACT WITH CLIENTS VARIED AMONG BUREAUS. COMMUNITY REFERRALS SHOULD BE INCREASED AND FORMAL DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED MORE ROUTINELY. SERVICES SHOULD BE BROADENED TO ADDRESS CLIENTS' EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, AND BUREAUS SHOULD MAINTAIN FOLLOWUP CONTACT MORE DELIGENTLY. BUREAUS SHOULD ALSO CONSIDE WHETHER TO RECRUIT CLIENTS PRIMARILY FROM WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH BUREAU STUDIED. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND AN APPENDIX PRESENTING DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)