NCJ Number
138278
Date Published
1992
Length
37 pages
Annotation
These highlights summarize a two-volume evaluation study of a national, federally funded program to foster and encourage the deinstitutionalization of status offenders (DSO).
Abstract
The report describes the development of the DSO program and assesses its effects with regard to the problems and prospects of status offender deinstitutionalization and to its delinquency control objective. Following a review of programs and procedures as well as constraints on the evaluation of program outcome, focus turns to the specific criteria employed in the selection of program proposals for funding, the extent of program success in implementing DSO rationale, program achievement in altering the flow of delinquent and status offender cases through the juvenile justice systems at program sites, and reduced client recidivism as an intended program outcome. There appeared to be as many program sites with an increase of offenders as there were sites with a decrease. Seven jurisdictions reported a reduction in detention and five jurisdictions identified an increase. On the basis of the data aggregated for all sites, the DSO program did not appear to have a beneficial effect with respect to client recidivism.