NCJ Number
16702
Date Published
1974
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A DESCRIPTION OF THE EVALUATION PROCEDURES, A PROJECT OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ARE PROVIDED FOR THIS DRUG OFFENDER DIVERSION AND REFERRAL PROGRAM.
Abstract
THE DRUG CLIENT OFFENDER DIVERSION PROJECT WAS ESTABLISHED TO DIVERT FIRST TIME DRUG OFFENDERS FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM INTO COMMUNITY DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS. PERSONS REFERRED ARE SCREENED BY THE PROJECT'S COMMUNITY TREATMENT LIAISON OFFICER AND, IF ELIGIBLE, ARE REFERRED TO AN APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM. EVALUATION METHODS CONSISTED OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF METHODOLOGICAL AND IMPACT GOALS, A REVIEW OF AVAILABLE DATA, AND A CONFERENCE WITH THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT LIAISON (CTL) REGARDING CLIENT SCREENING METHODOLOGY AND CLIENT DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE TO CARRY OUT INITIAL DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEWS, TO REPORT TO THE PROSECUTOR ON THE SUITABILITY AND POTENTIAL PLACEMENT OF THE CLIENT, TO ARRANGE INITIAL INTERVIEWS OF THE CLIENT BY POTENTIAL COMMUNITY TREATMENT AGENCIES, TO ARRANGE AN EXECUTION OF TREATMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND TREATMENT AGENCY, AND TO COLLECT BASELINE DATA PROTOCOL. THESE OBJECTIVES WERE FOUND TO BE GENERALLY ACHIEVED. OBJECTIVES OF PROVIDING STAFF TRAINING AND THE OBJECTIFICATION OF GOALS WERE ALSO MET. HOWEVER, GOALS CONCERNING DATA COLLECTION AND RECORDS WERE FOUND TO BE GENERALLY UNIMPLEMENTED. THE IMPACT EVALUATION SHOWED LITTLE OR NO PROGRAM IMPACT, ALTHOUGH THIS EVALUATION WAS HINDERED BY A LACK OF DATA. THE EVALUATOR NOTES THAT SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARDS CORRECTING DEFICIENCIES FOUND IN THE EVALUATION WAS ALREADY BEING UNDERTAKEN AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)