Wilmington Day Reporting Center Evaluation

• NCJ Number: 152588
• Author(s): E A Reed; D Craig
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 88 pages
• Corporate Author: Delaware Dept of Corrections; Delaware Criminal Justice Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services; Delaware Criminal Justice Council
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Prepared for the Delaware General Assembly and the Delaware Department of Correction.

Annotation

This evaluation of Wilmington's (Delaware) Day Reporting Center (DRC), a community-based drug treatment program, consists of a formative evaluation, a process evaluation, a fiscal analysis, and client analysis.

Abstract

Although an impact assessment of the DRC is not yet feasible, some aspects of the program can be assessed. The formative evaluation showed that the Department of Corrections established an effective procedure to begin the second year. It issued a well-crafted Request for Proposals with a clear delineation of its expectations, the requirements for the DRC program, and the conditions placed on the service provider. It contracted with SODAT to provide the services. Six types of services were provided under the contract: pretreatment substance abuse counseling, life-skills training, GED classes, job-seeking assistance, anger-control counseling, and parenting classes. The services are provided in a nonresidential facility attended by offenders during the day. The process evaluation showed that SODAT has implemented a system of offender assessment and a series of treatment services. It also has assisted the probation department in overseeing offender supervision requirements. The services component is off to a good start although many programs are in their infancy. The fiscal analysis showed that SODAT's DRC program operated in the red during the 4 months. The DRC program should be kept on a sound fiscal basis so that it does not come up short at the end of the first year. Cost overruns are forbidden by the contract. The client analysis shows that most DRC offenders are serious criminals with few personal resources available to them and with multiple unmet basic needs. The evaluation's overall conclusion is that although some program inadequacies must be corrected, there is no reason why the program should not be funded for a second year. 31 figures and appended supplementary program information