NCJ Number
56292
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION RESULTS ARE REPORTED FOR A PUERTO RICAN DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR JUVENILES INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
Abstract
THE PROJECT 'SERVICIOS ESPECIALES A MENORES INTERVENIDOS POR EL TRIBUNAL' (SEMIT), WAS INITIATED IN NOVEMBER 1976 BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ADDICTION SERVICES IN FIVE INSTITUTIONS FOR TROUBLED YOUTH. THROUGH CRISIS INTERVENTION, EVALUATION AND DIAGNOSIS, COUNSELING, AND PLACEMENT IN WORK-STUDY SYSTEMS, SEMIT AIMS TO EFFECT PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIORAL CHANGES THAT WILL ENABLE CLIENTS TO LIVE CONSTRUCTIVELY IN THE COMMUNITY. THE TYPICAL CLIENT IS A MALE 15 TO 17 YEARS, A SCHOOL DROP-OUT WITH LESS THAN 7 YEARS OF EDUCATION, AND LIVING WITH HIS MOTHER IN A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT IN AN URBAN AREA. EVALUATION DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM QUESTIONNAIRES ADMINISTERED TO STAFF AND CLIENTS, INTERVIEWS, AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE FILES OF SEMIT. OVERALL, THE OBJECTIVES OF SEMIT ARE BEING MET. THE STAFF IS WELL QUALIFIED AND FUNCTIONING EFFECTIVELY. A TOTAL OF 75 PERCENT OF THE STAFF BELIEVE THE PROGRAM IS EFFECTIVE WITH CLIENTS; CLIENTS ARE GENERALLY FAVORABLE TOWARD THE PROGRAM. PROGRESS MADE BY CLIENTS WAS DETERMINED FROM THE SEMIT FILES. DATA SHOWED THAT 189 CLIENTS IN THE PROJECT FOR 1 TO 3 MONTHS HAD COMPLIED WITH THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS; 277 CLIENTS IN THE PROJECT FOR 2 TO 6 MONTHS COULD EVALUATE THEIR SITUATIONS RESPONSIBLY; 127 CLIENTS IN SEMIT FROM 5 TO 9 MONTHS HAD BEGUN TO IMPLEMENT AN ACTION PLAN; AND 44 CLIENTS IN THE PROJECT FOR 12 MONTHS HAD REACHED OBJECTIVES AND WERE FUNCTIONING RESPONSIBLY. THE FOLLOWUP SAMPLE IS TOO LOW TO YIELD RELIABLE RESULTS FOR THOSE WHO HAD LEFT THE PROGRAM. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR MORE THOROUGH FOLLOWUP MONITORING. (RCB)