RESIDENTIAL CORRECTIONS - ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION - AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF THE FORT DES MOINES CORRECTIONS COMPONENT OF THE IOWA FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF COURT SERVICES

• NCJ Number: 12793
• Author(s): P S VENEZIA; R O STEGGERDA
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 114 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Des Moines Office of Community Development
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

EVALUATION OF FORT DES MOINES CORRECTIONS FACILITY IN CLIENT POPULATION, PROGRAM SERVICES, COMMUNITY SAFETY, AND SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL EFFECTIVENESS.

Abstract

THE FORT DES MOINES HALFWAY HOUSE, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BOTH JAIL AND PRISON, PROVIDES HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED CLIENT TREATMENT THROUGH A RIGOROUS COUNSELING PROGRAM AND THROUGH REFERRALS TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT, AND EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATIONAL AND MEDICAL SERVICES. AN ASSESSMENT OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA COLLECTED IN THIS EVALUATION SHOWS THE PROGRAM'S CLIENTS TO HAVE RELATIVELY UNSTABLE FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, POOR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY, LOW EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT, SOMEWHAT HIGH DRUG USAGE, AND SOME CRIMINAL BACKGROUND. DATA ON NEW OFFENSES DURING THE COMMITMENT PERIOD REVEAL THAT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ENDANGERED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM APPEARS TO BE SOCIALLY EFFECTIVE, WITH SIGNIFICANT PROPORTIONAL INCREASES IN POST-RELEASE EMPLOYMENT, FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE, AND EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENT. HOWEVER, ITS CORRECTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN TERMS OF REDUCING RECIDIVISM CANNOT BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED WITHOUT PROPER COMPARATIVE RECIDIVISM DATA. ON A COST-PER-CLIENT BASIS THE PROGRAM HAS PROVEN TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY COST EFFECTIVE.