NCJ Number
53744
Date Published
1977
Length
17 pages
Annotation
AN EX POST FACTO CONTROLLED GROUP STUDY FINDS THAT AN INNOVATIVE GROUP HOME WORK PROGRAM FOR DELINQUENT BOYS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL WAS EFFECTIVE FOR LESS SERIOUS OFFENDERS. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE.
Abstract
THE BLUE MOUNTAIN ACTION COUNCIL (BMAC) OF WALLA WALLA, WASH., BEGAN AN INNOVATIVE DROPOUT PROJECT TO REDUCE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM CONTACTS OF ITS PARTICIPANTS BY 50 PERCENT. THE PROJECT COMBINED PART-TIME PAID WORK EXPERIENCE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH TRAINING IN WORK HABITS AND SKILLS, TUTORING, PERSONAL AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING, AND AN INFORMAL WORKING CLASS (AS OPPOSED TO A PROFESSIONAL OR MIDDLE CLASS) CLIMATE. THE EVALUATION COMPARES 29 BOYS WHO SPENT AT LEAST 3 MONTHS IN THE PROGRAM WITH 29 BOYS WHO WERE HANDLED BY TRADITIONAL JUVENILE PROBATION MEANS. IN ADDITION, DATA WERE GATHERED THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER PARTICIPANTS, COMMUNITY AGENCIES, AND ADOLESCENTS WHO WERE NOT DROPOUTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BMAC PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM CONTACTS FOR MINOR OFFENDERS. DEPENDENCY CONTACTS DROPPED 94 PERCENT AND NONSERIOUS CONTACTS DROPPED 70 PERCENT. HOWEVER, CONTACTS FOR SERIOUS OFFENDERS INCREASED 52 PERCENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SERIOUS OFFENDERS ARE BEST HANDLED THROUGH TRADITIONAL METHODS. INTERVIEWS SHOWED THAT THE BMAC PROJECT WAS HIGHLY REGARDED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NONDROPOUTS, AND THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES. PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH RECORDKEEPING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT GOALS BE MORE CLEARLY DEFINED AND THAT BETTER RECORDS BE KEPT. A POSTSCRIPT NOTES THAT AFTER 3 YEARS THE PROJECT WAS NOT USED FOR SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN OTHER RURAL AREAS, BUT WITH A CAREFUL EVALUATION COMPONENT BUILT INTO THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM. TABLES PRESENT THE EVALUATION DATA. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)