Reducing Overrepresentation of Minorities in Juvenile Justice: Development of Community-Based Programs in Pennsylvania

• NCJ Number: 161378
• Journal: Crime and Delinquency Volume: 42 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1996) Pages: 76-98
• Author(s): W N Welsh; P W Harris; P H Jenkins
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 93-J-01-4594
• Sponsoring Agency: Pennsylvania Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency; Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

To address minority overrepresentation in its juvenile justice system, Pennsylvania funded nine community-based intervention programs for program assessment and development prior to program outcome evaluations.

Abstract

The Juvenile Advisory Committee of Pennsylvania's Commission on Crime and Delinquency commissioned research to analyze minority overrepresentation and to formulate appropriate intervention strategies. This study found that overrepresentation increased as youth moved through the stages of arrest, detention, prosecution, adjudication, transfer to adult court, disposition, and commitment to secure facilities. The nine community-based intervention programs were evaluated using archival, interview, and observational methods. It was found that all programs had two mandated goals, to reduce future involvement with the juvenile justice system and to improve school behavior and performance. Programs varied in service type, service clarity and structure, and nature and intensity of service delivery. Although programs changed their service delivery mode over time, they exhibited certain essential features: street outreach and referral, individual client needs and interest assessments, development of a supportive relationship with an adult, exposure to positive adult role models, peer group discussions, family support, completion of neighborhood and community projects, and educational support and job training. The formative program evaluations provided essential information to strengthen community-based program planning, implementation, and impact assessment. Priority issues for program planning were identified that focused on target selection procedures, client attendance and attrition, staffing levels and turnover rates, information and recordkeeping systems, the use of volunteers and mentors, the adequacy of physical facilities, program structure, and program monitoring. 26 references, 3 notes, 2 tables, and 1 figure