WORK AS CONCEPT OF REHABILITATION - REPORT ON A STUDY TOUR OF CONTROVERSIAL ANGLO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY WORK PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 60820
• Journal: Bewaehrungshilfe Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: (1978) Pages: 334-346
• Author(s): C PFEIFFER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE WILDCAT PROGRAM IN NEW YORK AND THE BULLDOG PROGRAM IN LONDON DESIGNED TO EMPLOY EXCONVICTS AND TO AID ADDICTS IS ASSESSED ON THE BASIS OF LITERATURE, OBSERVATIONS, AND INTERVIEWS.

Abstract

WORKERS IN THE WILDCAT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1972, ARE EXADDICTS, EXOFFENDERS, UNEMPLOYED JUVENILES, AND WELFARE MOTHERS, ALL FORMER WELFARE RECIPIENTS AND PRIMARILY BLACK OR PUERTO RICAN. THE 18-MONTH PROGRAM CONSISTS OF LIFE-SKILL TRAINING AND SPECIALTY JOB PLACEMENT COURSES. IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PROJECT GOALS (I.E., PROVISION OF RELIABLE SERVICES TO THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND REHABILITATION OF HARD-CORE UNEMPLOYED GROUPS), PRODUCTIVITY HAS BECOME THE DOMINANT OBJECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE SOCIAL WORKER SHORTAGE AND THE BUSINESS-MANAGER ORIENTATION OF SUPERVISORS. THE EMPHASIS ON PRODUCTIVITY ALSO RESULTS FROM THE ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE OF THE PROGRAM ON THE CITY AND FROM THE RAPIDITY OF THE PROGRAM'S DEVELOPMENT. IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT THE PROGRAM CAN SUCCEED ONLY IF PARTICIPANTS ARE ESPECIALLY MOTIVATED AND POSSESS WORK CAPABILITIES. THE HIERARCHICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PROJECT EMPLOYEES HINDERS COMMUNICATION AND RESOLUTION OF PROBLEMS. IN COMPARISON, THE BULLDOG PROJECT, BEGUN IN 1975, IS MORE DECIDEDLY INFLUENCED BY THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK: EACH PARTICIPANT IS GUIDED BY A PROBATION OFFICER; THE PROJECT IS LIMITED TO 100 CLIENTS; WORK IS DONE IN GROUPS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF GROUP LEADERS AND PROCEEDS STEP BY STEP TO A NORMAL LEVEL OF WORK REQUIREMENTS. MOST IMPORTANT, BULLDOG HAS REMAINED SMALL AND HAS AVOIDED ECONOMIC PRESSURES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RATE AT WHICH CLIENTS ARE GIVEN NOTICE REMAINS HIGH IN BOTH PROGRAMS. OBSERVATIONS OF THE BRITISH COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM FOR OFFENDERS TO PROVIDE RELATIVELY YOUNG MINOR OFFENDERS WITH COMMUNITY CONTACTS SHOW THAT OFFENDERS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS AND PREVIOUS PRISON EXPERIENCE ARE LEAST RELIABLE IN THEIR TASKS. WHILE PARTICIPANTS EXHIBIT ENTHUSIASM BOTH FOR PERSONAL CONTACTS AND THE SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT IN HELPING THE COMMUNITY, THE DANGERS OF RECIDIVISM ARE NOT REDUCED. A SIMILAR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM IS BEING DEVELOPED IN MUNICH. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)