Delinquency Prevention for Juveniles With Police Contacts

• NCJ Number: 168072
• Author(s): J Terpstra
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 55 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Netherlands Ministerie van Justitie, Dienst Preventie,
• Sale Source: Netherlands Ministerie van Justitie, Dienst Preventie,
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

The Youth Prevention Project (YPP) in the Land van Cuijk (Netherlands) aims to reduce juvenile delinquency in the region by providing services for youth between the ages of 12 and 25 who come into contact with the police or the courts; this report describes the program and presents the findings and recommendations of a 2-year evaluation.

Abstract

There are five broad target groups for the program, based on the seriousness of the juveniles' behavior, ranging from those with problem behaviors that are not yet delinquent to serious offenders who return to the community after institutionalization. The YPP is based on cooperation among the police, Halt, the public prosecutor, and various youth assistance services. This network has a central directive team that is responsible for part of the intake and assistance as well as the coordination of the project. The police function as a "gateway." The project began on April 1, 1994, and this evaluation study covers the first 2 years of operation. In these 2 years, 299 youths were involved in the project. In 123 cases assistance was actually provided. Three types of assistance were given: individual assistance, group- oriented assistance, and assistance for the families of the youth involved. Although there were initial problems of cooperation among the involved agencies in the first year, most of these problems were resolved by the second year. No clear conclusions can be drawn about the program's impact on delinquency in the region, but the particular youths involved have achieved improvements in problem and delinquent behavior. Leisure activities and contacts with friends are less of a problem; self- reliance and social skills have improved, and progress has often been made in searching for and finding a job as well as in family relations. Fast assistance, individualized rather than group services, and family involvement are the most important factors in program effectiveness. Recommendations are offered regarding improved interagency cooperation. 51 suggested readings