NCJ Number
66516
Date Published
1980
Length
17 pages
Annotation
EXCERPTS FROM THE 1978 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA, JUVENILE COURT ARE PRESENTED; ANNUAL STATISTICS FOR EACH OF FIVE LEAA-FUNDED PROGRAMS AND PROGRAM SUCCESSES ARE EMPHASIZED.
Abstract
THE FIVE PROGRAMS FUNDED BY LEAA UNDER THE DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION OF STATUS OFFENDER GRANT INCLUDE THE MOBILE DIVERSION UNIT, THE OPEN-INN RESIDENTIAL FACILITY, THE SPRINGBOARD SHELTER, THE AUTUMN HOUSE SHELTER, AND THE CONGRESS STREET SCHOOL. THE MOBILE DIVERSION UNIT PROVIDES CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES TO ALL STATUS OFFENDERS. IT RESPONDS DIRECTLY TO THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT. IN 1978, THERE WERE 1,497 REFERRALS HANDLED BY THE UNIT, RESULTING IN THE DETENTION OF ONLY 10 JUVENILES AS COMPARED WITH 979 DETENTIONS IN 1974. OPEN-INN OPERATED AT 72 PERCENT CAPACITY IN 1978, PROVIDING 1,302 RESIDENT DAYS OF A POSSIBLE MAXIMUM 1,825 RESIDENT DAYS. A TOTAL OF 186 YOUTHS WERE SERVED; CLIENTS WERE 97 FEMALES AND 89 MALES. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY WAS 7 DAYS. A TOTAL OF 20 PERCENT OF THE YOUTHS RETURNED TO THE PROGRAM 1 OR MORE TIMES, AND 40 PERCENT OF THE YOUTHS RETURNED HOME AFTER SHELFTER CARE. THE AGE OF THE AVERAGE CLIENT WAS 15 YEARS. SPRINGBOARD, WHICH PROVIDES TEMPORARY SHELTER CARE, CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING, FAMILY COUNSELING, AND A SUPERVISED, HOMELIFE ATMOSPHERE FOR RESIDENTS SERVED 187 YOUTHS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AUTUMN HOUSE PROVIDED SHELTER CARE FOR 236 RESIDENTS IN 1978. MORE FEMALES THAN MALES WERE CLIENTS, AND THE MAJORITY WERE WHITE. UPON DISCHARGE, 100 RESIDENTS RETURNED HOME. THE CONGRESS STREET SCHOOL EXPERIENCED ITS GREATEST SUCCESS IN ITS LAST YEAR OF OPERATION, 1978. THE OPEN SCHOOL SETTING PROVED BENEFICIAL AS THE STUDENTS IMPROVED THEIR READING, MATHEMATICS, AND WRITING SKILLS BY WORKING AT THEIR OWN RATES. IN JUNE 1978, 19 STUDENTS GRADUATED OUT OF 31 THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FROM A TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF 43 STUDENTS. OVERALL, THE PRIMARY GOAL OF DEALING WITH STATUS OFFENDERS IN THE COMMUNITY WAS MET. THE SECONDARY GOAL TO REMOVE STATUS OFFENDERS FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WAS NOT. TABLES ARE PROVIDED. (LWM)