NCJ Number
96032
Date Published
1984
Length
87 pages
Annotation
The evaluation of the Youth at Risk Program, a program to help young people aged 13 to 19 with a history of delinquency or status offenses (runaway, truancy) to remain crime-free, found that the program participants had a significantly lower recidivism rate than a nonprogram-comparison group.
Abstract
The Youth at Risk Program began in the San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Participants in 1983-84 include the probation departments of Los Angeles and Contra Costa Counties and community agencies. The program offers a 10-day course consisting of training in a rural setting. The course involves classes, outdoor sites for running and other physical activities, emphasis on self-reliance and individual responsibility, peer and staff support, and 'peer resistance' as a positive approach (to emphasize positive roles for gangs). A community followup program provides support to continue the process which started at the 10-day course. Both segments (10-day and followup) are intended to open up possibilities for youth that they were not aware existed. A total of 80 youths participated in the 1982 program, while 75 were in the 1983 program. A total of 49 participants in the 1982 and 1983 programs were traced for community performance on probation for up to a 15-month period. The recidivism rates were compared to rates of a matched group of 49 probationers with the same or similar characteristics and histories of juvenile justice involvement. First subsequent probationary incident and serious juvenile offense recidivism rates were compared for both groups. The Youth at Risk Program group had an overall subsequent incident recidivism rate of 34.7 percent, compared to 55.1 percent for the comparison group. The overall serious offense recidivism rate (18.4 percent) was less than half that of the comparison group (40.8 percent). Data were also gathered from interviews with 10 program facilitators and from precourse and postcourse questionnaires given to 1983 program participants. Over the 10-day period, average postcourse scores increased 6.8 percent. Evaluation conclusions are that the Youth at Risk Program has had a profound impact on the 155 youth participants. This well-planned and executed program has demonstrated that troubled youth in adverse circumstances can take advantage of available opportunities and choose to be productive, responsible citizens. Data tables are included. Evaluation procedures and sample questionnaires are appended.