NCJ Number
239517
Journal
Criminology & Public Policy Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2012 Pages: 227-249
Date Published
May 2012
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article presents the results of an evaluation of collaborative effort between schools and the district attorney's office in Louisiana to address the behavioral problems of children in pre-K through the sixth grade.
Abstract
Major findings from the evaluation of the Prosecutor's Early Intervention Program (PEIP) in Louisiana's 16th Judicial District include the following: 1.) the results revealed that significant reductions in problem behaviors of young children could be attributed to program participation; 2.) the obvious involvement of the district attorney's office, however, was associated with limited, albeit significant, reductions in specific problem behaviors; and 3.) these findings show that successful early intervention efforts can be made part of the juvenile justice system and that in some limited situations prosecutorial involvement can result in positive outcomes. This report presents the results of an evaluation of the collaborative efforts used in the PEIP to address the behavioral problems of children in pre-kindergarten through the sixth grade in Louisiana's 16th Judicial District. The program was begun as a way to address the serious and chronic delinquency that often emerges in childhood by expanding early intervention efforts into the juvenile justice system in order to deal with early problem behavior. By having the PEIP sponsored by and housed in the district attorney's office, the program was able to focus on three components geared towards personal development of referred youth: case management and the coordination of multiple services, individual and group counseling, and targeted wraparound interventions. The evaluation found that a well-designed and well-implemented program housed in the prosecutor's office can reduce early behavioral problems in children. Policy Implications are discussed. Tables, figures, references, and appendix