NCJ Number
36860
Date Published
1974
Length
48 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF OPERATION OF THE NORTHEAST DENVER YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU (YSB) WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE REFERRAL SERVICES TO YOUTH CLIENTS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM AMONG THEM.
Abstract
THE REPORT CONSISTS OF TWO ANALYSES - SYSTEM FLOW AND RECIDIVISM REDUCTION ANALYSIS. THE FIRST INVOLVES A FLOW ANALYSIS PRESENTING THE NUMBERS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUTH TO YSB BY REFERRAL SOURCE, TYPE OF OFFENSE HISTORY, AGE, SEX, AND RACE. THE SECOND ANALYSIS COMPARES RECIDIVISM OF YSB CLIENTS TO ESTABLISHED RECIDIVISM RATES OF DENVER YOUTH. OF THE 725 REFERRALS TO YSB IN THE TEN MONTH PERIOD, 337 WERE REFERRED TO DIRECT SERVICE AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY, AND 50.7 PERCENT OF THOSE HAD SUCCESSFULLY TERMINATED THEIR PLACEMENT AND WERE EXITED FROM THE SYSTEM. THE MAJORITY OF YSB CLIENTS WERE FOUND TO BE BLACK MALES BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 15. DATA DERIVED FROM THE RECIDIVISM REDUCTION ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT THE LONGER A CLIENT REMAINS AT THE AGENCIES TO WHICH REFERRED BY YSB, THE LOWER THE CHANCES OF RECIDIVATING DURING SERVICE TIME AND POST-REFERRAL PERIOD. THE RECIDIVISM RATE AMONG YOUTHS REFUSING SERVICES WAS FOUND TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF YSB CLIENTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A RECIDIVISM REDUCTION ANALYSIS WITH A LONGER FOLLOW-UP PERIOD THAN THE PRESENT ONE BE ONE BE CONDUCTED. FLOW CHARTS OF REFERRALS AND TABLES OF RECIDIVISM DATA ARE ATTACHED.