NCJ Number
115623
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1989) Pages: 48-50
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In Pima County, Ariz., the Stop Assaultive Children (SAC) program works to deter future acts of violence by assaultive children.
Abstract
The County has a mandatory arrest policy for domestic disturbance calls that includes children. The arrest could be the result of an assault, destruction of property, or disturbing family activities. In SAC, the child is usually locked up for a least one day at the detention center. The child then attends a detention hearing in which release is considered. If the child is released, he or she is required to attend school, abide by a curfew, refrain from illegal acts, and submit to an interview by a SAC probation officer. Following a baseline assessment, an interview is conducted with the child and family to describe the program and sign a contract agreeing to participate in prescribed services. At a subsequent trial review, prosecution is deferred contingent upon successful completion of the contract. In addition to counseling, participants formally acknowledge responsibility for their actions and agree to do volunteer work or make a donation to a domestic violence service. Depending on the charged offense and their history, SAC participants are assigned to one of four intervention levels, ranging from volunteer work or donation to participation in 17 hours of individual, group, and family therapy. SAC's success hinges on its effective interfacing of legal and therapeutic goals and multidisciplinary cooperation. Initial results indicate that SAC is successful in reducing recidivism for both domestic violence offenses and other forms of delinquency. 2 photographs.