NCJ Number
66936
Date Published
Unknown
Length
30 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A COMMUNITY FOLLOWUP STUDY ON 148 PERSONS DISCHARGED FROM THE VISIONQUEST PROGRAMS FOR HARDCORE DELINQUENTS IN PIMA AND COCHISE COUNTIES, ARIZONA.
Abstract
A TOTAL OF 68 PERCENT OF THE CASES HAD BEEN OUT OF THE PROGRAM AN AVERAGE OF OVER 2 YEARS, WHILE THE REMAINDER HAD BEEN OUT OF TREATMENT AN AVERAGE OF 6 MONTHS. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO COLLECT RECIDIVISM DATA TO DETERMINE THE AREAS OF CRIMINOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR AND THE NEED FOR CONTINUED PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES. IN ADDITION, THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO COLLECT DATA INDICATIVE OF COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT, SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT STATUS, EDUCATIONAL STATUS, PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME, AND LIVING ARRANGEMENT. A STRUCTURED INTERVIEW SCHEDULE WAS USED TO OBTAIN THE DATA WHICH WERE COLLECTED BY TELEPHONE INTERVIEW OVER A 4-WEEK PERIOD DURING JANUARY 1979. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM THE FORMER VISIONQUEST RESIDENTS THEMSELVES OR A PRIMARY FAMILY MEMBER. FINDINGS REVEALED THAT APPROXIMATELY 4 OUT OF EVERY 10 DISCHARGED YOUTH COMMITTED OFFENSES SINCE THEIR RELEASE FROM VISIONQUEST. HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY COMMITTED ONLY ONE OFFENSE AND VERY FEW INDIVIDUALS WERE ARRESTED BECAUSE OF THEIR BEHAVIOR. OTHER THAN TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, THE ONLY OTHER CATEGORIES OF OFFENSES INVOLVING AS MANY AS 13 PERCENT OF THE DISCHARGED YOUTH WERE MISDEMEANORS AND NONAUTO THEFTS. SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF THE FORMER RESIDENTS RECEIVED SOME TYPE OF ADDITIONAL PSYCHIATRIC CARE AFTER THEY LEFT TREATMENT. BOTH THE PSYCHIATRIC AND RECIDIVISM DATA INDICATE THAT THE MAJORITY OF FORMER RESIDENTS ARE TROUBLE-FREE AND HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADAPTED TO COMMUNITY LIVING. (AT BASELINE THE AVERAGE CLIENT REFERRED TO VISIONQUEST IS A MULTIPLE OFFENDER WHO HAS HAD AN AVERAGE OF THREE INDEPENDENT PSYCHIATRIC REFERRALS.) MOST FORMER RESIDENTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADAPTED TO LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY AND A LARGE PERCENTAGE WERE CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE GROUP DISCHARGED AN AVERAGE OF 6 MONTHS. ALTHOUGH A MAJORITY OF THE LONG-TERM DISCHARGES WERE EMPLOYED AND ONLY DEPENDENT ON THEMSELVES FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, A POTENTIAL PROBLEM MAY ARISE WITH THE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG THE EX-RESIDENTS WHO WERE SEEKING WORK, WITH THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN THE ADULT RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. OVERALL, THE STUDY RESULTS INDICATE POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES FOR MOST OF THE DISCHARGED VISIONQUEST RESIDENTS. TABLES, CHARTS, FOOTNOTES, AND THE STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)