NCJ Number
53926
Date Published
1977
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF SIX MINNESOTA PRETRIAL DIVERSION PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS ARE ASSESSED IN TERMS OF THE PROJECTS' STATED GOALS.
Abstract
ALL SIX PROJECTS WERE FUNDED FROM 1972 TO 1976 TO DIVERT ADULTS FROM TRADITIONAL COURT PROCESSES BEFORE TRIAL, AND HENCE, ARE VIEWED AS INTERVENTION TREATMENT PROGRAMS. IN GENERAL, PROJECT GOALS ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS BY REDUCING CASELOADS AND BY LOWERING COSTS, (2) TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS BY PROVIDING AN ALTERNATIVE WHICH CAN INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND THEREBY REDUCE RECIDIVISM, AND (3) TO ENABLE CLIENTS TO AVOID THE STIGMA OF CONVICTION. RESEARCH QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED DEALT WITH BOTH THE EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT UPON CLIENTS AND UPON THE SYSTEM. RECORD DATA WERE USED FOR THE BULK OF THE ANALYSIS, ALTHOUGH GRANT APPLICATIONS AND AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS AFFORDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON ALL CLIENTS AT INTAKE, TERMINATION, AND AT FOUR TIME INTERVALS AFTER TERMINATION. COST MEASURES WERE EXPENDITURES DIVIDED BY NUMBER OF CLIENTS AND EXPENDITURES DIVIDED BY FAVORABLY TERMINATED CLIENTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MINNESOTA COURT SYSTEM WAS NOT A PRIMARY DIVERSION SOURCE FOR THE SIX DIVERSION PROGRAMS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT 359 OUT OF 361 CLIENTS FROM ONE PROJECT HAD THEIR CRIMINAL CHARGES DROPPED. ONLY ONE OF THE PROJECTS IMPROVED THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMSOLVING ABILITY OF THEIR CLIENTS, WHILE THREE PROJECTS REDUCED UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT. NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO A SUCCESSFUL REDUCTION IN COST TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. A SUPPLEMENTARY EFFORT ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT CASELOADS DID NOT REACH THE DESIRED LEVELS. IT IS RECOMMENDED, IN ORDER TO REDUCE COST, THAT VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION IN FUTURE DIVERSION PROJECTS BE ENCOURAGED. FINALLY, THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY ARE DISCUSSED. ONE FIGURE IS INCLUDED. NO TABLES OR LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PRESENTED.