NCJ Number
53882
Date Published
1977
Length
255 pages
Annotation
IMPACTS AND PROCESSES OF YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS, PROGRAMS AIMED AT REDUCING DELINQUENCY BY DIVERTING YOUTHS TO ALTERNATIVE SERVICES, ARE EVALUATED BY APPLYING SYSTEMS RESEARCH CONCEPTS TO A NATIONAL DATA BASE.
Abstract
THE LACK OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIVERSION PROGRAMS AND THE INADEQUACIES OF TRADITIONAL SOCIAL RESEARCH MODELS ARE DISCUSSED. FOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS WERE ADDRESSED: (1) HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS IN REDUCING DELINQUENCY, (2) HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE PROJECTS IN EFFECTING CHANGE IN THE POLICIES OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM REGARDING DIVERSION, (3) WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE ABILITY TO ACHIEVE STATED GOALS, AND (4) WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS ABILITY TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY? USING BOTH OFFICIAL, NATIONAL CRIME STATISTICS AND DATA FROM 13 LOCAL MICHIGAN YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS, BOTH PROCESS AND IMPACT EVALUATION WERE PERFORMED. THE STUDY HAD AN EXPLORATORY, ASSOCIATIVE APPROACH, AND THEREFORE, NO CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS WERE PREDICTED. OUTCOME MEASURE, ORGANIZATIONAL VARIABLES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES WERE ALL INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. IT WAS FOUND THAT DATA DID NOT SUPPORT THE NOTION THAT YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS ARE SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING DELINQUENCY, AND THAT SUCH PROGRAMS HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON DIVERSION. ALSO, IT WAS FOUND THAT BUREAU STAFF FELT UNPREPARED TO DEAL WITH MANY COMPLEX ISSUES PRESENTED TO THEM AND THAT THEIR PERSONAL ORIENTATIONS TO DELINQUENCY WERE AT VARIANCE WITH THE UNIQUE ACTIVITIES EMBODIED IN THE ORIGINAL BUREAU CONCEPT. FINALLY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR OF PUBLIC SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT TO THE EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF YOUTH SERVICE BUREAUS. MAJOR PROBLEMS IN THE PROGRAM EVALUATION OF THESE BUREAUS WERE SEEN AS THE UNLIMITED NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAM MODELS AND THE ABSENCE OF GUIDELINES FOR INTRODUCING AND MAINTAINING PROGRAM MODELS. TABLES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)