NCJ Number
59313
Date Published
1978
Length
125 pages
Annotation
THE OPERATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SOUTHEAST EARLY DIVERSION PROJECT (SEED), A LOS ANGELES AREA JUVENILE DIVERSION PROJECT FUNDED BY LEAA, ARE DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED FOR THE 3-YEAR PERIOD ENDING IN AUGUST 1978.
Abstract
SEED, FUNDED BY THREE CONSECUTIVE $218,888 LEAA GRANTS, WAS ONE OF THREE JUVENILE DIVERSION PROJECTS SPONSORED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO SERVE DELINQUENT AND PREDELINQUENT YOUTH. IT SERVED YOUTH IN FOUR CITIES AND AN ADJACENT UNINCORPORATED AREA. THE PROJECT CONTRACTED WITH 24 COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCIES AND PROFESSIONALS FOR YOUTH COUNSELING, TUTORING, COMMUNICATION SKILLS, RECREATION, ACTIVITIES, WORK EXPERIENCE, AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL EDUCATION. THE TWO MAIN GROUPS OF YOUTHS SERVED WERE THOSE WHO WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT AND THOSE WHOSE OFFENSES WERE TOO MINOR TO WARRANT FORMAL PROCESSING THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 1,837 JUVENILES WERE SERVED IN THE PROJECTS 3 YEARS. PROVIDING COUNSELING IN CLIENTS' HOMES RATHER THAN IN AN OFFICE WAS ONE INNOVATIVE SERVICE PROVIDED. JUVENILE ARREST RATES IN THE PROJECT AREA DECLINED DURING SEED'S OPERATION, RECIDIVISM DECLINED FOR THE LEAST SERIOUS OFFENSES, AND DIVERSION COSTS WERE CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN FORMAL PROCESSING COSTS. OF THE 65 PERCENT OF THIRD-YEAR CASES CLOSED, 70 PERCENT WERE SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED. BOTH JUVENILES AND THEIR PARENTS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM. ABOUT 8 PERCENT OF THE REFERRALS WERE EITHER UNCOOPERATIVE OR DID NOT APPEAR FOR INTAKE. ONE PROGRAM WEAKNESS WAS THAT ONLY 36 PERCENT OF SEED FUNDS WENT TO DIRECT SERVICE, WHILE 63 PERCENT WENT TO OVERHEAD. IN ADDITION, THE AVERAGE TIME LAG OF 10.1 DAYS BETWEEN REFERRAL AND INTAKE WAS TOO LONG. NEVERTHELESS, THE PROJECT HAS ACHIEVED RESULTS COMPARABLE TO THE TRADITIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM WHILE SAVING MONEY. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROJECT BE CONTINUED AND CONSOLIDATED WITH ADJACENT PROJECTS, THAT OVERHEAD BE REDUCED, AND THAT NEW SERVICES BE DEVELOPED. FIGURES, EXTENSIVE TABLES, AND AN APPENDIX SHOWING JUVENILE ARRESTS AND DISPOSITIONS IN THE AREA ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)