NCJ Number
204569
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 48-51
Date Published
February 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Indiana Juvenile Service Division's Comprehensive Case Management System (CCMS).
Abstract
In 1999, the Indiana Department of Corrections contracted the services of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency to assist in evaluating the department's risk-assessment instrument, needs-assessment instrument, and classification tool. This resulted in a redeveloped risk-assessment instrument based on statistical analyses of the juvenile population, and items were selected based on their ability to predict the likelihood of recidivism. The needs-assessment instrument was updated with a broader array of items and more categories to better describe the degree of need for each youth. The classification tool was also redesigned to give greater emphasis on risk scores and any exceptional programming needs that might impact placement and service delivery. While these three tools were being revised, work was also being done to review the division's entire approach to juvenile services and how juveniles moved through the correctional system. During this time, CCMS began its formal development stage. Strongly based on the literature of the past 20 years regarding "what works," the CCMS is theoretically guided by six principles of effective intervention. These are the principles of risk, needs, responsivity, effective treatment models, aftercare, and program evaluation. Based on these principles, the CCMS sought to standardize the forms used at all facilities, the programming language used at all facilities, and the process by which juveniles move through the system, while at the same time being sensitive to individual differences in facilities and the offender population. The CCMS is a four-phase standardized system that begins when a youth arrives for his/her commitment at the intake facility and concludes with the youth's release from community supervision or to probation. This article describes these four phases, namely, the intake phase (2 weeks); the growth phase (indeterminate period); the transition phase (at least 60 days); and the aftercare phase (indeterminate period). The system's strong foundation in theory and research along with the emphasis on standardization of services has enabled the division to provide quality services while maximizing resources. 3 notes