NCJ Number
195724
Date Published
2002
Length
99 pages
Annotation
This report describes the Galveston (Texas) Community Planning Team's Comprehensive Strategy and 5-year plan for addressing the problem of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders, using the guidelines developed by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
Abstract
OJJDP's key principles for preventing and reducing at-risk behavior and delinquency are to strengthen families; support core social institutions; promote prevention strategies that reduce the impact of risk factors and enhance the influence of protective factors; intervene with youth immediately when delinquent behavior first occurs; establish a broad spectrum of graduated sanctions; and identify and control the small segment of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders. OJJDP advises that the implementation of this comprehensive strategy will require all sectors of the community to participate in determining local needs and in planning and implementing programs to meet those needs. Galveston has faced the situation of increasing youth violence and crime in the last decade, along with associated problems of unemployment, substance abuse, domestic family issues, and lack of commitment to school. Although various programs have been created to deal with aspects of these problems, a comprehensive strategy was lacking. The Community Planning Team was established to implement the OJJDP guidelines in Galveston. Representatives of various segments of the community were drawn into the process, and their skills and abilities were matched to the following teams: data collection and analysis; media; objective decision making; legislative and policy systems; resource assessment; and planning, monitoring, and evaluation. This report presents the findings of the community assessment; lists outcomes desired by the community; and identifies outcome indicators for problem behaviors, priority areas, and system linkages. The report concludes with the presentation of an evaluation plan for the comprehensive strategy process and programs. Appended inventory of children's services, lists of the members of the workgroups, and risk factor/indicator tables