SAINT MARK (LA) YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - AN EVALUATION OVER THE PERIOD OF DECEMBER 9, 1974 THRU JULY 31, 1975

• NCJ Number: 48891
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 57 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; New Orleans Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Corporate Author: Copelin and Associates, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROGRAM GOALS STATED IN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL AND THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM DURING THE PERIOD INDICATED IS EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE ST. MARK'S COMMUNITY CENTER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, OR THE TREME STREET ACADEMY (TSA), AS IT IS MORE COMMONLY CALLED, WAS AWARDED A $56,836 GRANT BY THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION AND THE MAYOR'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL OF NEW ORLEANS FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1974 TO AUGUST 31, 1975. THIS EVALUATION WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE AWARD WAS UTILIZED FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE ALLOCATION WAS MADE. IN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, TSA IS DESCRIBED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD JUVENILE REHABILITATION PROGRAM, WITH THE MAJOR GOAL OF REDUCING THE JUVENILE CRIME RATE AMONG TREME YOUTHS IN THE PROGRAM BY CUTTING THEIR RECIDIVISM RATE BY 50 PERCENT. THIS GOAL WAS TO BE MET BY THE CREATION OF FIVE ACTIVITY COMPONENTS -- ACADEMIC, COUNSELING, RECREATIONAL AND ARTS, CAREER AWARENESS AND GOAL DEVELOPMENT, AND ADVOCACY. THE EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED BY GATHERING DATA THROUGH THE FOLLOWING MEANS: AN EXAMINATION OF MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORTS TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL FROM TSA STAFF; INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH CURRENT AND PAST STAFF MEMBERS, SELECTED CLIENTS, AND CLIENT PARENTS; OBSERVATION BY EVALUATION PERSONNEL; AND A REVIEW OF THE FILES OF THE PROGRAM TO ASCERTAIN THE NUMBERS AND TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS THE EXTENT OF DOCUMENTATION OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO CLIENTS. EACH PROGRAM COMPONENT WAS EVALUATED SEPARATELY TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE TO WHICH IT CONFORMED TO PROPOSAL STANDARDS. IT IS GENERALLY CONCLUDED THAT TSA FUNCTIONED QUITE EFFICIENTLY DURING THE PERIOD STUDIED; THE PROGRAM CONSISTENTLY ACHIEVED AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF THE EXPECTED LEVELS OF ITS PROPOSED RESPONSIBILITIES. IN A NUMBER OF INSTANCES THE PROGRAM HAD ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS IN THE 90-100 PERCENT RANGE. REFUNDING IS RECOMMENDED. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED, AND THE APPENDIX PROVIDES A CATAGORIZATION OF JUVENILE OFFENSES. (RCB)