NCJ Number
26545
Date Published
1974
Length
46 pages
Annotation
THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO PREVENT 50 PERCENT OF A TOTAL OF 325 YOUTHS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN THE ACADEMY FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, FROM COMMITTING A TARGET CRIME WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER COMPLETION OF THE 6 MONTHS PERIOD.
Abstract
THE STREET ACADEMY IS PREDICATED UPON THE ASSUMPTION THAT PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL SKILLS (GRADUATE EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA) AND PLACING THE YOUTHS IN CONTACT WITH OTHER RESOURCES AS NEEDED WILL INTERRUPT THE THEORETICAL FORMULA OF: FRUSTRATION MINUS RESOURCES EQUALS AGGRESSION (OR CRIME). THE ACADEMY FURTHER ASSUMES THAT PROVIDING THE NEEDED RESOURCES WILL LESSEN ECONOMIC NEEDS WHICH CAN RESULT IN CRIME AND THAT PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT WILL LESSEN THE AGGRESSION AND FRUSTRATION RESULTING FROM 'FAILURE' IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH MIGHT BE ACTED OUT IN THE FORM OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WERE PUBLIC SCHOOL DROPOUTS, YOUTHS ADJUDGED DELINQUENT BY THE COURTS, 'POTENTIAL' OFFENDERS, AND TARGET OFFENDERS. EVALUATION ACTIVITIES CONSISTED OF MEASURING THE ATTENDANCE AND EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE STUDENTS ALONG WITH THE NUMBER OF TARGET OFFENSES COMMITTED BY ENROLLEES, EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE CRIME PREVENTION GOAL OF THE PROGRAM HAD BEEN MET SINCE ONLY TWO OR THREE TARGET OFFENSES HAD BEEN COMMITTED BY ENROLLEES DURING THE ONE YEAR PERIOD. IN ADDITION, THE G.E.D. SUCCESS RATE WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN 15 PER CENT, THE OBJECTIVE VALUE. HOWEVER, THE ENROLLMENT WAS ONLY 47 PERCENT OF THE PROJECTED TOTAL, THE AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE WAS BELOW 75 PERCENT, AND PROJECTED STUDENT SELF-OPINION SURVEYS AND FAMILY OPINION SURVEYS OF THE STREET ACADEMY ON THE STUDENT WERE NOT CONDUCTED. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS A COPY OF THE PROGRAM REGISTRATION FORM AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE EVALUATION COMPONENT DESIGN FOR THE PROGRAM.