NCJ Number
54421
Date Published
1977
Length
27 pages
Annotation
FLORIDA'S PROBA+TION AND AFTERCARE SERVICES FOR YOUTHS AR EVALUATED THROUGH USE OF AN EVALUATION PARADIGM IN WHICH BOTH DESCRIPTIVE AND EVALUATIVE DATA ON PROGRAM OPERATIONS RESULT FROM ROUTINE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT EMPLOYED IN THIS STUDY WAS THE CASELOAD MANAGEMENT REVIEW FROM WHICH WAS DEVELOPED AS A MONITORING TOOL FOR THE PROBATION AND AFTERCARE PROGRAMS IN 1975. THE DOCUMENT WAS DESIGNED BOTH TO COLLECT DATA AND TO PROVIDE STRUCTURE TO THE REQUIRED MONTHLY REVIEW OF EACH CASE BY THE COUNSELOR AND THE SUPERVISOR. APPROXIMATELY 130,000 OF THE REVIEW FORMS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THIS STUDY. PARTICIPATION OF A JUVENILE IN THE YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM IS A DIVERSIONARY ALTERNATIVE. PROBATION IS ACTUALLY A SUSPENDED COURT COMMITMENT OF A JUVENILE, AND RATHER THAN HAVING THE CASE PROCEED THROUGH THE COURTS THE CHILD RECEIVES SUPERVISION FROM YOUTH SERVICES COUNSELORS. WHEN CHILDREN ARE RELEASED FROM YOUTH SERVICES, SUPERVISION CONTINUES IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE FORM OF AFTERCARE. SERVICES PROVIDED TO JUVENILES GENERALLY CONSIST OF COUNSELING, SUPERVISION, AND ASSISTANCE IN OVERCOMING THE PROBLEMS WHICH LED TO INVOLVEMENT WITH THE JUVENILE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. IT WAS FOUND THAT JUVENILES ON PROBATION CONSTITUTED 72 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CASELOAD OF YOUTH SERVICES. THE NUMBER OF AFTERCARE CASES ACCOUNTED FOR 24 PERCENT OF THE CASELOAD AND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE NUMBER OF CASES RECEIVING INTENSIVE AND MODERATE SUPERVISION IS PROPORTIONATELY DECREASING. CERTAIN PROGRAMS WERE FOUND TO BE RECEIVING INADEQUATE EMPHASIS. TOO FEW YOUTHS WERE FOUND TO BE RECEIVING COUNSELOR GROUP EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION, PARENT PARTICIPATION AND THE UTILIZATION OF RESTITUTION WERE SEEN AS UNDERUSED CONCEPTS. THE PROBATION VIOLATION RATE RANGES FROM 8.2 TO 10.8 PERCENT PER MONTH, AND THE AFTERCARE VIOLATION RATE RUNS FROM 11.8 TO 14.4 PERCENT PER MONTH. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. FOOTNOTES ARE APPENDED. (MLC)