NCJ Number
66702
Date Published
1980
Length
29 pages
Annotation
A PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE FOR THE INTENSIVE SUPERVISION OF 50 SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENDERS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED.
Abstract
IN 1978, 49 YOUTHS ENTERED THE JEFFERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY, PROGRAM AND 1979, 40 ENTERED. OVER ONE-THIRD WERE BLACK; 7.9 PERCENT WERE FEMALES; THE MEAN AGE AT ADMISSION WAS 15.9 YEARS; 37.1 PERCENT HAD WITHDRAWN FROM SCHOOL; ALMOST HALF LIVED WITH THE MOTHER ONLY, WHILE LESS THAN A THIRD LIVED WITH BOTH PARENTS; LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE FAMILIES WERE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; THE MEAN NUMBER OF PRIOR REFERRALS WAS 3.1; AND BURGLARY AND THEFT OVER $100 ACCOUNTED FOR HALF OF THE OFFENSES. THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM WERE AS FOLLOWS: OF THE 63 YOUTHS WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, 55.6 PERCENT WERE REFERRED FOR ONE OR MORE IN-PROGRAM OFFENSES, AND 27.0 PERCENT WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED FOR COMMITTING AN IN-PROGRAM OFFENSE. INTERVIEWING THE YOUTH AND HIS FAMILY WITHIN 24 HOURS OF ADMISSION HAD A SUCCESS RATE OF 84.1 PERCENT. AN EARLY TREATMENT PLAN WITH SPECIFIED OBJECTIVES WAS SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED. MEETING WITH THE FAMILY ONCE A MONTH HAD A SUCCESS RATE OF 92.0 PERCENT; MEETING WITH OFFENDERS ACCORDING TO A SCHEDULE WAS SUCCESSFUL; PROVIDING ONE CONTACT PER WEEK IN THE EARLY PHASE BETWEEN 5 P.M. AND MIDNIGHT HAD A SUCCESS RATE OF 90.9 PERCENT. ALL CONTACTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY DOCUMENTED. NINETY PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS ARE INVOLVED IN SCHOOL, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, OR EMPLOYED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ADMISSION. OTHER PROGRAM SUCCESS RATES INVOLVED DEVELOPING BEHAVIOR CONTRACTS AND MODIFYING THEM ON A MONTHLY BASIS (79 PERCENT) HAVING JUDGES MEET FACE-TO-FACE INFORMALLY WITH OFFENDERS (47.5 PERCENT). THE OVERALL SUCCESS RATE FOR THE PROGRAM WAS 20.6 PERCENT. EXTENSIVE TABLES ARE INCLUDED, BUT NO REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.