NCJ Number
66701
Date Published
1980
Length
30 pages
Annotation
A SEPARATE INTAKE UNIT FOR JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDERS IN A JEFFERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY, PROJECT IS EVALUATED.
Abstract
THE OVERALL GOAL WAS TO DIVERT 600 STATUS OFFENDERS PER YEAR FROM THE FORMAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, THEREBY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF STATUS OFFENDERS HANDLED FORMALLY BY 25 PERCENT. SUBGOALS INCLUDED A 25 PERCENT RECIDIVISM RATE, A RECIDIVISM LEVEL OF 10 PERCENT BETTER THAN IN THE FORMAL SYSTEM, AND TEMPORARY RESIDENCES FOR YOUTHS FOR A SHORT COOLING OFF PERIOD. CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE SERVED BY THE PROJECT INCLUDE SLIGHTLY MORE FEMALES THAN MALES; TWO-THIRDS WERE WHITE AND ONE-THIRD BLACK; THE AVERAGE AGE WAS 14.5 YEARS; HALF OF THE YOUTHS RESIDED WITH ONLY ONE PARENT; THE PARENTS' MEAN INCOME WAS $9,330; AND RUNAWAYS FORMED 21.7 PERCENT, TRUANTS 9.3 PERCENT, AND 'BEYOND CONTROLS' 69.0 PERCENT. TO ATTAIN THE GOALS THE METHODOLOGIES INCLUDED EARLY PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH PARENTS AND CHILDREN; UP TO THREE SESSIONS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION COUNSELING; TERMINATION OF DIRECT SERVICES WITHIN 15 DAYS; FOLLOW-UP CONTACTS AT TWO-WEEK, ONE-MONTH, AND THREE-MONTH INTERVALS; REFERRAL OF YOUTHS TO APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY RESOURCES SUCH AS THE FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S AGENCY. WEEKLY COUNSELING SESSIONS WERE HELD WITH OFFENDERS AND MONTHLY SESSIONS WITH THEIR FAMILIES; AND HOMES WERE VISITED AT LEAST ONCE. RESULTS SHOW THAT 401 STATUS OFFENDERS WERE HANDLED IN 1978 AND 248 IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1979. FROM THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION IN 1977 TO 1979, RUNAWAY AND UNGOVERNABLE BEHAVIOR CASES HANDLED FORMALLY BY THE OCURT DECREASED BY 19.3 PERCENT. A FOLLOW-UP RECIDIVISM STUDY OF ONE-THIRD OF THE PROGRAM'S CASES INDICATED A 28.9 PERCENT RECIDIVISM RATE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF ENTRY IN THE PROGRAM, VERSUS 25 PERCENT IN 1976. TEMPORARY RESIDENCES WERE UTILIZED IN 5.5 PERCENT OF THE CASES. EXTENSIVE GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED.