NCJ Number
27477
Date Published
1972
Length
72 pages
Annotation
STUDY DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMAL PROBATION BY MEANS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL-CONTROL-COMPARISON GROUP INVESTIGATION OF 277 CHILDREN REFERRED TO THE YOLO COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT IN AN 18-MONTH PERIOD
Abstract
THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE VALUE OF UNOFFICIAL PROBATION BY EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF TWO VARIABLES - NEED FOR SERVICES AND PROVISION OF SERVICES UPON FURTHER OFFICIAL DELINQUENCY OF MINORS REFERRED TO THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP USED IN THIS CONSISTED OF MINORS PLACED ON INFORMAL PROBATION, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP (MINORS DESIGNATED FOR INFORMAL PROBATION) RANDOMLY SELECTED TO BE TREATED AS THOUGH THE DECISION WAS TO COUNSEL AND RELEASE. TWO OTHER GROUPS OF MINORS - COUNSELED AND RELEASED, WITH SERVICES AND FORMAL PROBATION, WITHOUT SERVICES. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT FURTHER DELINQUENCY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE CONTROL GROUP AND OF THE FORMAL SUPERVISION GROUP, AND THAT THOSE WHO WERE COUNSELED AND RELEASED WOULD EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS DELINQUENCY THAN ANY OF THE OTHER GROUPS. THESE HYPOTHESES WERE NOT SUPPORTED BY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RESULTS, HOWEVER, EVIDENCE WAS OBTAINED TO SHOW THAT SELECTIVE USE OF INFORMAL PROBATION DOES NOT RESULT IN ANY GREATER RATE OF OFFICIAL DELINQUENCY THAN DOES FORMAL PROBATION. IN ADDITION, AN ATTRIBUTE PROFILE OF INFORMAL PROBATIONERS WAS DEVELOPED, A RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROBATION APPROACHES WAS DESCRIBED, AND THE YOLO COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT TESTED AN EFFICIENT PROBATION INFORMATION SYSTEM. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE STUDY RESULTS WARRANT REPLICATION OF THE RESEARCH ON A LARGER SCALE. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS UNITED STATES AND CALIFORNIA MODELS OF UNOFFICIAL PROBATION, THE PROBATION INFORMATION CODE SHEET AND THE SUPERVISION OFFICER'S EVALUATIVE DESCRIPTION OF INFORMAL PROBATION.