NCJ Number
31998
Date Published
1975
Length
150 pages
Annotation
AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS PROJECT WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT OFFENDERS WITH PRIOR FELONY CONVICTIONS CAN BE DIVERTED FROM PRISON AND SAFELY RETAINED UNDER INTENSIFIED PROBATION SUPERVISION IN THE COMMUNITY.
Abstract
THE PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO MANAGE 'HIGH RISK' OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT COMPROMISING STANDARDS OF COMMUNITY SAFETY AND WITHOUT THE HIGH PER CAPITA EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH IMPRISONMENT. TREATMENT INCLUDED COUNSELING AND PROVISION OF VOCATIONAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES. THE EVALUATION DESIGN CONSISTED OF A COMPARISON OF OUTCOMES FOR TARGET GROUPS (A GROUP OF RECIDIVIST OFFENDERS ORIGINALLY SENTENCED TO PRISON AND A GROUP OF RECIDIVIST OFFENDERS ORIGINALLY GIVEN PROBATION) AND CONTROL GROUPS ( A GROUP OF INCARCERATED FELONY OFFENDERS AND A GROUP OF PROBATIONED RECIDIVIST OFFENDERS). THE TARGET GROUPS RECEIVED THE PROJECT'S INTENSIVE COMMUNITY SUPERVISION. PROBLEMS IN ASSIGNMENT OF CASES TO THE TARGET GROUPS AROSE DURING THE EVALUATION WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED THE TARGET GROUP'S COMPOSITION; IT WAS FOUND THAT ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF THE TARGET RECIDIVIST CASES, PRESUMABLY DIVERTED FROM PRISON, IN FACT WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN PROBATION IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PROJECT. THIS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED THE VALIDITY OF THE EVALUATION. THUS, ALTHOUGH THE EVALUATION WAS NOT ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE A PRINCIPLE OBJECTIVE - THAT PROJECT SUPERVISION WAS NONE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM THAN IMPRISONMENT/PAROLE - IT WAS ABLE TO SHOW THAT SOME RECIDIVIST FELONS NOW IMPRISONED ARE ACCEPTABLE INTENSIVE SUPERVISION CANDIDATES. IT WAS FURTHER CONCLUDED THAT SUCH A PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT IT INVOLVES OFFENDERS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE TARGET GROUP, CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT SUBJECTING COMMUNITIES TO UNDUE RISKS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)