NCJ Number
59503
Date Published
1977
Length
67 pages
Annotation
A REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMMING AND EVALUATION IS DISCUSSED, AND A PLAN FOR A NATIONAL EVALUATION OF JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMMING IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE INADEQUACIES AND DEFICIENCIES IN JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAMMING AND EVALUATION REVEALED IN A REVIEW OF THE PERTINENT LITERATURE IDENTIFY A NUMBER OF CRITICAL ISSUES. A NATIONAL EVALUATION MUST DETERMINE WHETHER THE DIVERSION INTERVENTIONS MADE ON BEHALF OF JUVENILES ACHIEVE THE EFFECTS INTENDED AND CONSTITUTE AN EFFICIENT USE OF FUNDS. THE EVALUATION PROPOSED INCLUDES THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF A PROCESS ANALYSIS, AN ANALYSIS OF IMPACT ON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND AN ANALYSIS OF IMPACT ON YOUTH. THE PROCESS ANALYSIS WILL CHARACTERIZE THE OPERATION OF THE PROGRAMS, PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT VARIABLES, EFFECTS ON PROGRAMS, AND YIELD A DYNAMIC DESCRIPTION OF EACH DIVERSION PROJECT AS A SYSTEM, INCLUDING SUCH ASPECTS AS GOALS, ACTIVITIES, INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS, MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES, SYSTEM FLOW, AND STAFF ORIENTATION. AN ANALYSIS OF IMPACT ON THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM WILL DETERMINE CHANGES IN RATES OF FLOW THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. AT A LIMITED NUMBER OF SITES, A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, INDEPTH ANALYSIS WILL BE CONDUCTED, FOCUSING ON SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY AND SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH ATTITUDINAL AND BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN YOUTH. DATA ANALYSIS WILL INCLUDE COMPARISONS OF TRADITIONAL PROCESSING AND DIVERSION. THESE WILL INVOLVE A TWO-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE ON POST-TEST T2 SCORES, COMPARISONS BETWEEN YOUTH WHO PENETRATE, YOUTH DIVERTED TO SERVICES, AND YOUTH DIVERTED TO NO SERVICES, AND MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS USING ALL THE VARIABLES SPECIFIED IN THE THEORETICAL MODEL. FINALLY, A DISCRIMINANT FUNCTION ANALYSIS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE WHICH IMPACT, PROCESS, AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES PREDICT SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES. EACH COMPONENT OF THE EVALUATION IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)