NCJ Number
120464
Date Published
1981
Length
64 pages
Annotation
The Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services received a grant in September 1978 to administer the statewide Juvenile Restitution Project, and 12 local projects were designed to serve juveniles who were adjudicated delinquent or who agreed to a consent decree order.
Abstract
Local project objectives were to determine the extent to which the projects were successful in working with adjudicated delinquent youth, to provide information on the costs involved in committing resources to juvenile restitution, and to compare youth participating in projects with youth committed to correctional facilities. Over 1,100 youth participated in the projects, and over $340,000 was ordered in restitution. The most common juvenile crime was burglary, with most participants committing an average of three offenses. Victims received an average of $268 from each youth; 82 percent of all youth paid their full restitution on schedule, an additional 8 percent paid their adjusted obligations, and only 10 percent of youth refused to cooperate. While youth participated in the projects, only 8 percent committed additional offenses. The average cost per client was $665, compared to $4,500 per year for foster care, $14,900 per year for group home care, and $22,000 per year for institutional care. Youth, parent, and employer surveys revealed that most felt children were better off after participating in restitution projects. A detailed description and associated data are provided for each of the 12 projects.