NCJ Number
207695
Date Published
December 2003
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This booklet reports on the design and goals of a demonstration project intended to produce a core set of juvenile justice performance measures for potential use nationwide.
Abstract
The project, which involves four participating jurisdictions in different parts of the country, will test a set of measures or benchmarks that are linked to the goals of community safety, offender accountability, and competency development. The benchmarks must be measurable, with reasonable accuracy and reliability; accessible; concise; representative of a broad community investment; reflective of positive gains; and understandable to the community. Intermediate outcomes will measure the degree to which the following organizational objectives are being met: resistance to drugs and alcohol, restitution, community service, school participation, victim satisfaction, and citizen participation in the system. Impact outcomes will measure the degree to which the juvenile justice system has had some long-term, significant impact on offenders and communities. Outcome measures will focus on the juvenile crime rate, the law-abiding behavior of offenders within 1 year after completing juvenile court obligations, and criminal convictions in adulthood. The experiences of the demonstration sites will be documented and analyzed. This information will in turn be used to improve the performance measurement strategies and provide national guidance for juvenile justice performance measurement and planning.