EVALUATION AND CASE STUDY OF A SCHOOL-BASED DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM - THE MINNESOTA YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 47880
• Journal: EVALUATION QUARTERLY Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (MAY 1978) Pages: 215-234
• Author(s): P S HIGGINS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 20 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Minnesota Governor's Cmssn on Crime Prevention and Control
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PAPER PRESENTS A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY OF THE YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM, 1972-1976; AND EVALUATION OF THE 19721973 OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM; AND A DISCUSSION OF THE OBSTACLES TO EVALUATION.

Abstract

REVIEWS OF EVALUATIVE RESEARCH OF DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAMS CONSISTENTLY CONCLUDE THAT ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF SUCH EFFORTS ARE EVER EVALUATED. AVAILABLE EVALUATION STUDIES USUALLY HAVE SERIOUS METHODOLOGICAL FLAWS; FURTHER, THE MORE ADEQUATE THE RESEARCH DESIGN, THE LESS LIKELY THE CONCLUSION OF A LARGE TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS. THE MINNESOTA PROGRAM IS DIFFERENT FROM MANY ANTIDELINQUENCY PROGRAMS IN THAT IT IS SCHOOL BASED AND ITS EMPHASIS IS ON SCHOOL AS WELL AS COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT. THE PROGRAM BEGAN IN 1972. DURING 1972-1973, IT REACHED ITS PEAK WITH 13 ADVOCATES IN MINNEAPOLIS, 6 IN ST. PAUL, AND 6 IN DULUTH. THE PROGRAM BUDGET WAS ABOUT $400,000. FROM 1973-1974, TIGHT BUDGETS, PERSONAL CONFLICT, AND POOR LOBBYING EFFORTS LED TO TERMINATION OF THE PROGRAM EXCEPT IN ST. PAUL. A NEW SOURCE OF FUNDS WAS FOUND THERE AND THE ORIGINAL SIX ADVOCATES, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL TWO, WERE WORKING AT THE END OF 1976. DURING 1972-1973, ADVOCATES WORKED IN DEPTH WITH 336 YOUTHS RELEASED FROM CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, 451 PROBATIONERS, AND 523 PREDELINQUENTS. AN EVALUATION COMPARED GRADES, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, OFFENSES, AND INSTITUTIONALIZATIONS OF 66 RETURNEES FROM CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE ADVOCATE PROGRAM WITH THOSE OF 40 NONADVOCATE RETURNEES. BOTH GROUPS HAD SIMILAR SCORES ON ADJUSTMENT TESTS, SIMILAR ACADEMIC GRADES (JUST BARELY ABOVE FAILURE), AND SIMILAR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RECORDS. HOWEVER, THE ADVOCATE GROUP HAD LOWER RECIDIVISM RATE, SIGNIFICANT AT THE 5-PERCENT LEVEL. ALSO, MORE OF THE ADVOCATE GROUP CONTINUED IN SCHOOL, GENERALLY IN ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS. THE EVALUATION IS DISCUSSED IN BOTH THE EMPIRICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, NO MATTER WHAT METHODOLOGICAL FINDINGS ARE MADE, A PROGRAM THAT DOES NOT FIT SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS WILL NOT BE CONTINUED BY THE POWER STRUCTURE. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)