NCJ Number
214570
Date Published
October 1997
Length
95 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings from the process and outcome evaluations of Pennsylvania's School-based Probation (SBP) program, which was completed between January 1996 and June 1997.
Abstract
The process evaluation found that cases assigned to SBP were demographically similar to those assigned to more traditional forms of supervision; and the types of charges that brought SBP cases into the juvenile court system did not differ from the cases of those assigned to other forms of probation supervision. Among SBP officers, the median percent of time spent in the school was 70 percent. Significantly more time was spent in the school setting by officers who were involved in a dual case-management strategy, which involved sharing casework with other officers. Regarding the outcome evaluation, SBP officers, school personnel, and SBP youth had high regard for the program and believed that it had been effective in increasing school attendance and academic performance as well as improving behavior in and out of the school environment. SBP cases were significantly less likely to be charged with serious new crimes compared with youth on regular probation; however, consistent with a regime of closer supervision, SBP cases were significantly more likely than regular probationers to be charged with probation violations and status offenses. SBP cases had significantly fewer days in placement. The evaluation's first phase produced a demographic profile of the SBP youth. The evaluation's second phase consisted of site visits designed to examine program operations. The evaluation's third phase compared the probation performance of 75 randomly selected SBP cases with 75 matched non-SBP cases. Rates of rearrest, placements, and cost of placement were used as outcome measures. Appended detailed data summary and study instruments