Philadelphia Intensive Aftercare Probation Evaluation Project

• NCJ Number: 135932
• Author(s): H Sontheimer; L Goodstein; M Kovacevic
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 205 pages
• Grant Number(s): 88-J-02-3101
• Sponsoring Agency: Pennsylvania Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Pennsylvania Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research study explored whether providing intensive aftercare (IA) probation services to high-risk, habitual juvenile offenders released from institutional placement in Philadelphia reduces their tendencies to become reinvolved in criminal activity.

Abstract

Specifically, the study sought to determine if juveniles on IA probation experience fewer arrests, adjudications, and placements than their equivalent counterparts who have not been exposed to these services. The study also aimed to assess the quality of probationers' postrelease adjustment by focusing on their activities after release, interactions with others, types of problems they experience, and their level of cooperation with probation officers and probation conditions. The sample consisted of 90 juveniles who were released from the Bensalem Youth Development Center between December 1988 and January 1990. Juveniles in the study had an average of 5.1 arrests, 2.7 convictions, and 1.2 placements prior to their commitment to Bensalem. Subjects averaged 17 years of age at the time of commitment and remained in placement for an average of 10.8 months. The IA probation program was successfully implemented by the court with strong support from the judiciary. IA probation officers had face-to-face contact with their clients about 10 times as often as control group probation officers. Once in the community, IA clients were more cooperative with their probation officers and experienced fewer family and school-related problems than control group clients. Only 50 percent of juveniles assigned to IA were rearrested compared to 64 percent of control subjects. The seriousness of new offenses was comparable for both groups. Juveniles assigned to the control group accounted for twice as many new arrests and six times as many convictions and incarcerations as juveniles assigned to IA. The success of the IA probation program is attributed to effective risk management by probation officers. Appendixes contain the data collection instruments, indexes used in the study, and a comparison of experimental and control group recidivism. 6 references, 23 tables, and 2 figures