NCJ Number
104476
Date Published
1983
Length
68 pages
Annotation
This report describes the methodology and results of an evaluation of North Carolina's juvenile Community-Based Alternative (CBA) Program, which was launched through funding mandated under the enactment of HB 456 in 1975.
Abstract
The evaluation, which was conducted in 1983, focused on the operation of the local CBA task forces responsible for planning, prioritizing needs, allocating funds, and monitoring grantees. Evaluators conducted onsite visits in eight counties, one in each of the CBA regions, and mailed questionnaires to agency representatives in 33 other counties. Interviews were conducted with various State CBA representatives. The report summarizes the history of CBA in North Carolina and its impact on the juvenile justice system, compares North Carolina's CBA act to similar legislation in other States, and recommends ways to improve the CBA program. The CBA program is generally operating effectively, and professionals and citizens at the State and local levels are satisfied with the program. The report recommends a $2-million increase in CBA State funding for next year, with a portion set aside for new services; increased incentives for programs which divert juveniles from training schools; task force indepth monitoring of CBA programs; and the establishment of a working definition of 'child-at-risk' to set priorities for counties. Other recommendations focus on the expansion of task force membership, the training and orientation of new task force members, and task forces' education of the local public about task force and CBA operations. CBA questionnaires and summaries of CBA laws for North Carolina, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Kansas.