NCJ Number
51989
Date Published
1978
Length
324 pages
Annotation
THIS TWO-VOLUME REPORT EVALUATES THE NATIONAL JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM COLLABORATION, A COLLABORATION OF 15 NATIONAL NONPROFIT HEALTH AND WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS TO SERVE STATUS OFFENDERS AND OTHR YOUTH AT RISK.
Abstract
THE COLLABORATION WAS FUNDED BY LEAA BEGINNING IN 1975. THE NATIONAL AGENCIES SUPPORTED FIVE LOCAL COLLABORATION EFFORTS AS WELL AS A CENTRAL COLLABORATION. LOCAL SERVICES DELIVERED INCLUDED ADVOCACY, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND DIRECT SERVICES. THE EVALUATION WAS BASED ON DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF THROUGHPUT GOALS AND QUASIEXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM EFFECT. THE EVALUATION OF PROGRAM GOALS CONCLUDED THAT ALL THE LOCAL COLLABORATORS SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM PLANNING CALLED FOR IN THE PROPOSAL. THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS IN IMPLEMENTING PLANNED PROGRAMS AND IN ACHIEVING A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS VARIED FROM SITE TO SITE. ALL COLLABOARTIONS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN SOME AREAS; ALL ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS IN OTHER AREAS. THE EVALUATION FOCUSED ON THE THREE MAJOR PROGRAM TASKS OF BUILDING COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS, PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS, AND AFFECTING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. COLLABORATIONS WERE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN DEVELOPING MEMBERSHIP OF LOCAL YOUTH SERVING AGENCIES. SOME SITES WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN BUILDING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCY PARTICIPATION. PARTICIPATING AGENCIES DEVOTED OVER 4,000 RECORDED DAYS OF WORK ON THE COLLABORATION EFFORTS. ALL THE COLLABORATIONS DID NEEDS ASSESSMENT STUDIES USING STATISTICS AND YOUTH SURVEYS. THE PLANNING PROCESS WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK, WAS OFTEN RUSHED, AND PRODUCED THE MOST FRUSTRATION. PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED AT ALL SITES SERVED OVER 1,000 STATUS OFFENDERS AND CHILDREN AT RISK. OVER 2,900 COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PROGRAM STAFF ATTENDED TRAINING SESSIONS. A TOTAL OF 116 PROGRAMS WERE IMPLEMENTED IN 14 TO 18 MONTHS. AT THREE OF THE FIVE SITES, DECISIONMAKERS' ATTITUDES ABOUT NONPROFIT AGENCIES' MIXING STATUS OFFENDERS WITH OTHER CHILDREN BECAME MORE POSITIVE. MOST ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES STATED WILLINGNESS TO BE INVOLVED IN FUTURE COLLABORATIONS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT SUCCESS IN BUILDING COLLABORATION DEPENDS ON CLEAR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, PRIOR COLLABORATION SUCCESS, INCLUSION OF COMPETING GROUPS, INPUT FROM ALL MEMBERS, DEFINED SKILLS AND ROLES OF STAFF MEMBERS, AND LAY LEADERSHIP. VOLUME ONE INCLUDES THE NARRATIVE REPORT, FIGURES, FOOTNOTES, AND APPENDED TABLES. VOLUME TWO INCLUDES AUXILIARY TABLES, RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS, THREE BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF 103, 45, AND 56 ENTRIES, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE COLLABORATION AND EVALUATION EFFORTS. (CFW)