PROJECT CRIME (COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH TO IMPROVE METHODS OF EVALUATION) - PROJECT REPORT 5 - AN EVALUATION OF A POLICE DIVERSION OF YOUTH PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 35147
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 44 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0104
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Assoc of Central Oklahoma Governments
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EVALUATION OF AN OKLAHOMA CITY (OK) PROGRAM TO DIVERT JUVENILE OFFENDERS FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM BY PROVIDING COUNSELING, EMPLOYMENT, AND RECREATION TO YOUTHS.

Abstract

THE PROJECT INVOLVED HIRING FOUR CIVILIAN YOUTH COUNSELORS PLACED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE COMMANDER OF THE DEPARTMENT'S YOUTH BUREAU AND DEVOTING SPECIAL EFFORTS TO CRISIS INTERVENTION. ACTIVITIES WERE DIRECTED TOWARD REDUCING THE YOUTH BUREAU'S CASELOAD AND REDUCING DELINQUENCY THROUGH INTERVENING TREATMENT OF CHILDREN IN NEED OF SUPERVISION (CINS) AND RUNAWAYS. DATA USED TO EVALUATE PROJECT PERFORMANCE INDICATES THAT IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION, THE PROJECT HANDLED 12 TO 20 PERCENT OF THE CASES THAT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY THE BUREAU. A COST ASSESSMENT WAS COMPUTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROCESS WITH CINS PROVIDED DIVERSION FROM THE YOUTH BUREAU CASELOAD, PARTICULARLY ON A SHORT TERM BASIS BUT THAT 79 PERCENT OF THE RUNAWAYS IN THE SAMPLE LATER ENTERED THE YOUTH BUREAU CASELOAD. THE EVALUATION INDICATED THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RUNAWAYS, THE PROJECT HAD ACHIEVED OR WAS PROGRESSING TOWARD THE ATTAINMENT OF IDENTIFIED OBJECTIVES.