NCJ Number
100292
Date Published
1985
Length
71 pages
Annotation
To examine the effectiveness of replications of Project New Pride (a community-based juvenile treatment program) in 10 cities, extensive data were compared for 1,161 program participants and 1,164 control adjudicated delinquents.
Abstract
Program components included professional assessments, individual treatment, remedial education, employment training and placement, and support services (intensive supervision, family intervention, counseling). Analyses of subject demographic and 1-to 3-year followup data failed to indicate significant differences in recidivism rates or relative offense seriousness between the experimental and control groups. Moreover, project youth were more likely to be charged with new offenses and probation violations than were control youth. While program participation did result in academic achievement gains, these were insufficient to offset initial deficits. Overall, program participation did not alter the known patterns of generalized risk in the treatment group. Funding, jurisdictional conditions, and program management were found to contribute to variations in program success across sites. Factors possibly contributing to the null findings are discussed, as are theoretical and practical implications. 37 references.