NCJ Number
59500
Date Published
1977
Length
196 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF THE CLARK COUNTY COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS PROGRAM IS PRESENTED; TOPICS INCLUDE PRETRIAL SERVICES, PRETRIAL SUPERVISED RELEASES, DRUG ABUSE UNIT, RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, AND EMPLOYMENT.
Abstract
THE PROGRAM PRESENTS A UNIFIED APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF ACCUSED OFFENDERS FROM THE TIME THEY ENTER THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGH TRIAL, POSSIBLE INCARCERATION, AND RELEASE ON PROBATION OR PAROLE. UNITS IN OPERATION INCLUDE PRETRIAL SERVICES, MISDEMEANANT PROBATION SERVICES, PRETRIAL-SUPERVISED RELEASE, ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY SERVICES, THE DRUG ABUSE UNIT, RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT SERVICES, AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES. FOUR MAIN PROGRAM FUNCTIONS INCLUDE CLIENT SCREENING, CASE MANAGEMENT, CLIENT TREATMENT, AND CLIENT REENTRY ASSISTANCE. THE COMUNITY-BASED APPROACH DID NOT INCREASE THE CRIME RATE IN CLARK COUNTY. IN FACT, A DECLINE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS EVIDENT FOR 1976 AND 1977. BY IMPLEMENTING CENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES UNDER ONE ADMINISTRATION IT IS POSSIBLE TO CUT THE OVERHEAD ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SERVICE AND TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ELEMENTS. DURING 1977, THE MISDEMEANANT PROBATION SERVICES SUPERVISED 473 CLIENTS. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CONTACTS WITH EACH CLIENT WAS 9.76 AND THE AVERAGE CLIENT WAS REFERRED TO TWO COMMUNITY AGENCIES. THE DRUG SERVICES UNIT PROVIDED 46 DRUG ABUSE EVALUATIONS, SUPERVISED 72 INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN URINE SCREENING, AND PROVIDED COUNSELING FOR 35 CLIENTS WITH DRUG RELATED PROBLEMS. THE ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY SERVICES UNIT RECEIVED 968 REFERRALS IN 1977. OF THOSE PLACED AT A COMMUNITY WORK SITE, 95.87 PERCENT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR ASSIGNMENTS. EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING SERVICES RECEIVED 163 FELONY OFFENDER REFERRALS AND PLACED 81 PERCENT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. FORTY-THREE MISDEMEANANTS AND 199 FELONS WERE REFERRED TO THE SUPERVISED RELEASE PROGRAM AND 40.5 PERCENT WERE ACCEPTED. IN 1977, 2,851 INDIVIDUALS WERE INTERVIEWED FOR POSSIBLE RELEASE ON THEIR OWN RECOGNIZANCE. OF THIS NUMBER, 56 PERCENT WERE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR RELEASE. THE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY ACQUIRED NEW MANAGEMENT IN 1977 AFTER EXPERIENCING A WALK RATE AMONG CLIENTS OF 76 PERCENT IN THE PAST. GRAPHS, APPENDIXES, AND STATISTICAL TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION REPORT. (LWM)