NCJ Number
54423
Date Published
1977
Length
23 pages
Annotation
YOUTH SERVICES INTENSIVE COUNSELING PROGRAM IN FLORIDA DURING FISCAL YEARS 74-75 IS GIVEN FAVORABLE EVALUATION WITH RESPECT TO RECIDIVISM, PROGRAM COMPLETION RATE AND PROGRAM EFFICIENCY.
Abstract
IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DELINQUENT CHILDREN BEING TREATED WITHIN LARGE INSTITUTIONS, AN INTENSIVE COUNSELING PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN JACKSONVILLE, TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG, FORT LAUDERDALE, MIAMI, WEST PALM BEACH, AND FORT PIERCE--ALL IN FLORIDA. COUNSELORS WERE GIVEN A REDUCED CASELOAD OF 8 TO 10 INDIVIDUALS AND GROUP COUNSELING WAS OFFERED A MINIMUM OF 4 TIMES WEEKLY. BOTH THE YOUTH AND THE PARENTS SIGNED CONTRACTS TO ATTEND GROUP MEETINGS REGULARLY. SINCE THEIR ATTENDANCE RULE WAS STRICTLY ENFORCED, IT WAS NECESSARY THAT THE CLIENTS LIVE GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE, AND AS A RESULT MOST OF THE YOUNGSTERS CAME FROM INNER-CITY GHETTO AREAS, WHICH HAVE HIGH DELINQUENCY RATES. EIGHT TO TEN DELINQUENT YOUTHS COMPRISED AN INTENSIVE COUNSELING GROUP. COUNSELORS MONITORED A YOUTH'S BEHAVIOR BY CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH PARENTS, TEACHERS, EMPLOYERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, AND OTHER PERSONS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND IN ADDITION, COMMUNITY RESOURCES WERE UTILIZED, SUCH AS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, MENTAL HEALTH, SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES, AND DRUG PROGRAMS. OF THE 230 YOUTHS WHO LEFT THE INTENSIVE COUNSELING PROGRAM IN 1974-1975, 49 PERCENT COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AND WERE RELEASED TO REGULAR AFTERCARE SUPERVISION. THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRADUATE AND NONGRADUATE GROUPS WAS IN THE HIGH COMPLETION RATE FOR INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AS COMPARED WITH OTHER OFFENSES AND THE HIGH RATE FOR THOSE WITHOUT PRIOR COMMITMENT HISTORIES. WHEN GRADUATES WERE COMPARED WITH A TRAINING SCHOOL CONTROL GROUP FOR RECIDIVISM THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, AND BECAUSE OF THESE STATISTICAL DIFFERENCES, THE VARIABLES OF AGE AND PRIOR COMMITMENTS WERE CONTROLLED IN THE RECIDIVISM ANALYSIS. USING THE CHI SQUARE PROCEDURE, EVALUATORS FOUND THAT THE INTENSIVE COUNSELING GRADUATES HAD HIGHER SUCCESS (71 PERCENT) THAN THE TRAINING SCHOOL CONTROLS (44 PERCENT). WHEN CONTROLLING FOR THE VARIABLE OF PRIOR COMMITMENT, EVALUATORS FOUND THAT PRIOR COMMITMENT WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE HIGH SUCCESS RATE OF THE INTENSIVE COUNSELING GROUP; BUT WHEN CONTROLLING FOR THE VARIABLE OF AGE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HIGHER SUCCESS RATE OF THE INTENSIVE COUNSELING GROUP COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN AGE. METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN COMPARING THE TWO GROUPS ARE MENTIONED. RECOMMENDATIONS CALL FOR MORE INTENSIVE COUNSELING PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF EFFECTIVENESS (POSTPROGRAM SUCCESS) AND EFFICIENCY (COST AND PROGRAM COMPLETION), AND THE PREFERENCE OF FIRST COMMITMENT YOUTHS FOR ASSIGNMENT TO THE PROGRAM. THE APPENDIX LISTS YOUTHFUL OFFENSES. (FCW)