Denver County Court Probation Intervention with Gang-Affiliated Youth (From Adolescent Gangs: Old Issues, New Approaches, P 97-114, 1999, Curtis W. Branch, ed. -- See NCJ-179321)

• NCJ Number: 179325
• Author(s): Karim Abdullah; Curtis Branch
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 18 pages
• Sale Source: Brunner/Mazel, Inc.
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A court probation intervention in Denver County, Colorado, for adolescents involved in gangs recognizes the varied developmental needs of these young people.

Abstract

One of the early programs created by the probation department, known as Work Fair, was designed to have an immediate impact on young people, especially those affiliated with gangs. Developmental requirements for participation in Work Fair involved affective, behavioral, and cognitive components. Other programs included an intensive psycho-educational program design to help at-risk families reconstitute themselves and become more functional and intensive supervision. Program outcome evaluation showed probation officers felt having access to clients in a variety of settings and more often than weekly or biweekly made their jobs less complicated. Many adolescents in the Work Fair and family intervention programs made substantial progress in the areas of social engagement and relationships with authority figures. These programs provided an opportunity to see adolescents and their family members at work in therapeutic settings, and information obtained by observing them contributed to appropriate clinical decisions. 6 references and 4 tables