PRELIMINARY IMPACT EVALUATION OF THE STUDENT ACTION CENTER - ORLEANS PARISH, LA

• NCJ Number: 61797
• Author(s): J L ASHCRAFT
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 24 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: New Orleans Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE STUDENT ACTION CENTER OF ORLEANS PARISH, LA., IS EVALUATED, AN EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM PROVIDING COUNSELING, TUTORING, AND REFERRAL SERVICES TO COMBAT TRUANCY IN TWO SCHOOLS.

Abstract

TRUANCY IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AMONG JUVENILES IN ORLEANS PARISH AND A SOURCE OF MUCH OF THE JUVENILE CRIME. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STUDENT ACTION CENTER TO REDUCE TRUANCY AND ARREST RECIDIVISM IS ASSESSED FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1978 THROUGH MAY 1979, WHEN THE PROGRAM PROVIDED SERVICES TO 151 STUDENTS. AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO SERVE 150 PARTICIPANTS PER YEAR AND WAS OPERATIONAL FOR 1 1/2 YEARS, AT LEAST 225 STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE PARTICIPATED. OVERALL, 81 OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MALE, AND 70 WERE FEMALE; THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE STUDENTS AT THE TIME OF INTAKE WAS 14, AND ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE BLACK. THE MEASURE USED TO ASSESS TRUANCY REDUCTION INDICATED AN AVERAGE REDUCTION OF APPROXIMATELY 49 PERCENT, VERY NEAR THE 50 PERCENT GOAL ANTICIPATED IN THE GRANT APPLICATION. HOWEVER, THE REDUCTION OF ARREST RECIDIVISM WAS MINIMAL, WITH THE AVERAGE CHANGE IN NUMBER OF ARRESTS BEING 16.4 PERCENT LESS AFTER ENTRANCE IN THE PROGRAM, THUS FALLING FAR SHORT OF THE 50-PERCENT GOAL. THE CENTER SHOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, DEFINE 'TRUANCY' IN OPERATIONAL TERMS, MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE RECORDS TO MEASURE TRUANCY ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION, AND TEST THE ASSUMPTION THAT REDUCED TRUANCY LEADS TO REDUCED ARREST RECIDIVISM IN THE FINAL IMPACT EVALUATION. FOOTNOTES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).