VOLUNTEERS IN JUVENILE PROBATION - A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW ORLEANS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 43848
• Author(s): S P CARROLLSIDNEY I
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 113 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-ED-06-0017-TA-9
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: New Orleans Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE STUDY MEASURES THE VOLUNTEER PROBATION PROGRAM'S EFFICIENCY IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM OPERATIONS ON THE DELINQUENCY PROBLEM.

Abstract

THE PROGRAM'S GOAL WAS THE REDUCTION OF JUVENILE RECIDIVISM. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT BY UTILIZING VOLUNTEERS TO WORK WITH 'LOW RISK' JUVENILES, THE REGULAR PROBATION OFFICERS WOULD HAVE MORE TIME TO SPEND ON MORE DIFFICULT CASES. IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION THE FOLLOWING DATA WERE ANALYZED: ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES; PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND ADMINISTRATION; FUNDS EXPENDED; VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT, TRAINING UTILIZATION, AND RETENTION; SERVICE DELIVERY; AND CLIENT SELECTION. THE PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS WAS MEASURED THROUGH THE ARREST RECIDIVISM AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF ARRESTS SUBSEQUENT TO ENTERING THE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WERE MEASURED AGAINST THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR PRIOR TO, DURING, AND AFTER PARTICIPATION. PARTICIPANTS WERE ALSO MEASURED AGAINST A COMPARISON GROUP. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING A ONE-TO-ONE RATIO OF VOLUNTEERS TO PROBATIONERS DURING THE EVALUATION PERIOD WAS NOT ACHIEVED. THE RELEASE OF A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF REGULAR PROBATION OFFICERS FROM LESS SERIOUS CASES FOR WORK WITH THE HARD-CORE RECIDIVIST WAS PARTIALLY ACHIEVED. THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTEERS IN INTAKE AND RESOURCE PROCUREMENT IN ADDITION TO GROUP COUNSELING SESSIONS HAVE BEEN NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS. THE PROGRAM ATTAINED ITS GOAL OF REDUCING ARREST RECIDIVISM AMONG PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS BY 10 PERCENT. THE EFFECTIVE IMPACT OF THIS REDUCTION IS MINIMAL CONSIDERING THE LOW NUMBER OF CASES ACTUALLY PROCESSED. IT IS NOTED THAT PROPER FISCAL MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN DISPLAYED BY PROJECT PERSONNEL. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE ESTABLISHING DEFINITE GOALS IN REGARD TO VOLUNTEER UTILIZATION AND EITHER AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING THE ORIGINAL GOALS OF THE PROGRAM OR MAKING SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS TO EXPLOIT THOSE SERVICES IN WHICH VOLUNTEERS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE. IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT THE PROGRAM DOES NOT EXIST ALONE, BUT MUST FUNCTION WITHIN AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. APPENDIXES PRESENT A CRIME SERIOUSNESS INDEX, PROGRAM FORMS, DATA COLLECTION FORMS, AND A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).