NCJ Number
214345
Date Published
March 2006
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report presents a summary of the evaluation of Jackson County, IL's School-Based Probation Program.
Abstract
The School-Based Probation Program in Jackson, which was funded by a Federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act grant, experienced several program design and implementation limitations. Among these were problems with the job responsibilities of the school-based officers (SBOs), which included overlapping job activities and data retrieval problems. Despite the limitations of the program, the Jackson County program illustrated the significant impact school-based officers can have on juveniles through their increased interactions. School personnel generally regarded the program as successful and reported that juvenile offenders were better behaved due to SBO involvement. Lessons learned from Jackson County’s experience with a school-based probation program could help similar jurisdictions. The type of program implemented in Jackson works best in rural jurisdictions with multiple schools. Recommendations for similar jurisdictions considering implementing a school-based juvenile probation program are offered and include the advice to develop clear SBO job responsibilities, to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with courts and service agencies, and to create a plan for continuing funding. The report also summarizes general program practices, the role of the SBOs, and demographic information on the participating probationers.