NCJ Number
57792
Date Published
1975
Length
69 pages
Annotation
TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME (TASC) PROJECTS WERE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESSING INTERVENTIONS, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, TREATMENT MODALITY, DEMOGRAPHIC AND DRUG USE DATA, AND PROJECT OPERATION.
Abstract
DATA ON 22 TASC PROJECTS WERE OBTAINED THROUGH TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS, AND SITE VISITS WERE MADE TO 10 OF THESE PROJECTS. PROJECT DIRECTORS GENERALLY SUPPLIED MOST OF THE INFORMATION IN TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS; HOWEVER, SOME OF THIS INFORMATION PROVED EASIER TO OBTAIN THAN OTHER ITEMS. COLLECTING INFORMATION ON THE STAGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESSING WHEN TASC INTERVENTIONS OCCURRED WAS TEDIOUS DUE TO THE VARIATION IN TASC-CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARRANGEMENTS AND BECAUSE INTERVENTIONS THEMSELVES REPRESENTED DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER AREA OF INQUIRY WHICH PROVED DIFFICULT WAS THE ALLOCATION OF STAFF AND FUNDS. THIS DIFFICULTY AROSE BECAUSE JOB TITLES DID NOT ALWAYS DESCRIBE TASC FUNCTIONS, AND BECAUSE BUDGET OR EXPENDITURE DATA WERE NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY STAFF ALLOCATIONS PRODUCED THE DESIRED INFORMATION; IN THE CASE OF BUDGET OR EXPENDITURE DATA, PERSONNEL BUDGETS BY COMPONENT OF EACH TASC PROJECT WERE SUBSTITUTED. SOME DATA WERE OMITTED, INCLUDING NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL COMPLETIONS SINCE MOST PROJECTS HAD NOT BEEN OPERATIONAL LONG ENOUGH FOR TREATMENT COMPLETIONS TO OCCUR. IN THE 10 TASC PROJECTS SELECTED FOR FIELD INVESTIGATION, INFORMATION GATHERED FROM PROJECT DIRECTORS CONCERNED PROJECT OPERATION, INCLUDING POINTS AT WHICH TASC INTERFACED WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, ORIGINS OF LOCAL TASC PROJECTS, AND POSSIBLE MEASUREMENT POINTS FOR EVALUATING TASC PROJECTS. STATISTICAL SUMMARIES OF THE 12 PROJECTS CONTACTED BY TELEPHONE BUT NOT VISITED ARE INCLUDED, ALONG WITH THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW GUIDE AND SITE VISIT MATERIALS (PROJECT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW FORM, OTHER TASC STAFF INTERVIEW FORMS, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE-TREATMENT PROGRAM INTERVIEW GUIDES). (DEP)