NCJ Number
185118
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2000 Pages: 92-95
Date Published
July 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Since the installation of the Back on Track! software system in July 1998, Washington State counties have used it to help assess the recidivism risk for all juveniles entering their respective systems and to make dispositional recommendations to the courts.
Abstract
The software has two formats: a short form and a longer, more comprehensive form. The short form is for intake or screening purposes, and the full-length version is used as part of ongoing case management file supervision. The software also evaluates the results of that data and organizes them into a case management plan that indicates the course of sanctions and treatment to pursue to reduce risk to the community and to change the behavior of the individual youths. Administratively, the software provides staff with the ability to include detailed comments about any or all phases of the assessment and helps supervisors and chiefs review reports that detail aggregate risk, individual risk, and protective factors, providing for the planning of specific interventions aimed at reducing further criminal behavior. Additionally, the software produces chronological reports that detail all reassessment entries in the record, as well as a summary of all interventions and their degrees of success. More than a year after its implementation, an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the new system determined that it is a success. Plans are underway to enhance the overall utility and capability of the software, adding a comprehensive case study component to track each youth's treatment and progress.