NCJ Number
36497
Date Published
1974
Length
45 pages
Annotation
THIS PROGRAM TREATS DELINQUENCY YOUTH AND PREVENTS JUVENILE RECIDIVISM BY COMBINING A STRONG EMPHASIS ON REMEDIAL EDUCATION WITH COUNSELING FOR DELINQUENT YOUTH WITH PREVIOUS HISTORIES OF SCHOOL-RELATED PROBLEMS.
Abstract
THE CENTER'S APPROACH FOCUSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED AND SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL, ATTITUDINAL, AND BEHAVIORAL GOALS FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM. THE OPERATING STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF THREE FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS - THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT, THE SOCIAL SERVICES AND GROUP COUNSELING COMPONENT, AND THE AFTER-CARE COMPONENT. THIS LAST COMPONENT INVOLVES ASSISTING PROGRAM GRADUATES IN MAKING THE TRANSITION BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR THE JOB MARKET. A PROJECT SUMMARY IS FOLLOWED BY AN EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT IN RELATION TO ITS GOAL ACHIEVEMENT, MEASURABILITY, EFFICIENCY, REPLICABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT IN COMPARISON WITH THE OTHER MORE TRADITIONAL TREATMENT AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR DELINQUENT YOUTH IN ST. LOUIS, THE PROGRAM IS BOTH A MORE EFFECTIVE AND A MORE COST EFFICIENT MODEL. HOWEVER, EVALUATORS STILL CONSIDERED IT AN OPEN QUESTION WHETHER THE CENTER MODEL WAS MORE EFFECTIVE AND/OR MORE EFFICIENT THAN OTHER MODELS OF DELINQUENCY TREATMENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE CONCEPTUALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CENTER'S, BUT ALSO NON-TRADITIONAL.