NCJ Number
30623
Date Published
1976
Length
27 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY WHICH EXAMINED SUCH AREAS AS REFERRAL RATES, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENTAL DIVERSION RATES, CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVERTED VS. REFERRED YOUTHS, AND EVALUATION FOR POLICE JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMS.
Abstract
DATA FOR THIS PROJECT WERE GATHERED IN TWO MAJOR PHASES: INTERVIEWS WITH THE JUVENILE OFFICER CHARGED WITH DIVERSION/REFERRAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN EACH OF 35 POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND EIGHT DIVISIONS OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND COLLECTION OF DATA FROM 100 RANDOMLY ACCESSED CASE FILES IN 33 OF THE ABOVE 35 CITIES. IN THE INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONS WERE ASKED ON PROGRAM STRUCTURE, GOALS, DEVELOPMENT, CHANGES IN POLICE DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, POLICE PERCEPTIONS OF REFERRAL AGENCIES, AND IMPACT OF EVALUATORS. THE DATA SHOWED THAT THERE ARE MAJOR DIFFERENCES IN STYLES AND LEVELS OF COMMITMENT TO POLICE DIVERSION PROGRAMS, AND THESE RELATE DIFFERENTIALLY TO TYPES OF OFFENDERS REFERRED. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT EVALUATION COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAMS REVIEWED GENERALLY HAD LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE PROGRAMS. REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY AGENCIES WERE FOUND TO HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, BUT REMAINED RELATIVELY LOW. IT WAS NOTED THAT REFERRED YOUNGSTERS, RATHER THAN BEING DIVERTED FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, ARE MORE COMMONLY DRAWN FROM THOSE ORDINARILY RELEASED WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION. THIS PATTERN OF REFERRAL AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO RELEASE WAS STRONGLY MANIFESTED IN THE VARIABLES OF AGE, SEX, PRIOR RECORD, AND SERIOUSNESS OF INSTANT OFFENSE. CURRENT POLICE REFERRAL RATES WERE FOUND TO BE VERY MUCH A FUNCTION OF THE INFUSION OF OUTSIDE--FEDERAL AND STATE--FUNDS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE CONTINUATION OF SUCH FUNDS, THE DATA IMPLIED THAT REFERRAL RATES WOULD RECEDE TOWARD THEIR EARLIER, VERY LOW LEVEL. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)