NCJ Number
64421
Date Published
1979
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A FINAL EVALUATION IS PRESENTED OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ORLEANS PARISH JUVENILE AWARENESS PROGRAM (LOUISIANA) IN PREVENTING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY BY DEMONSTRATING THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF PRISON INCARCERATION AND CRIME.
Abstract
THE ORLEANS PROGRAM WAS FUNDED THROUGH AN LEAA GRANT IN THE FALL OF 1978. IT WAS SIMILAR TO A PROGRAM DEVELOPED AT RAHWAY STATE PRISON IN NEW JERSEY WHICH TOOK JUVENILE OFFENDERS INSIDE THE PRISON FOR ENCOUNTERS WITH INMATES SERVING LIFE SENTENCES. BECAUSE OF UNFAVORABLE EVALUATIONS OF THE RAHWAY PROGRAM, THE ORLEANS PROGRAM OPERATING AT THE ANGOLA STATE PRISON WAS SHUT DOWN. ALTHOUGH THE ORLEANS PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONTROL GROUP OR SOME OTHER METHOD WITH WHICH TO ASSESS PROGRAM IMPACT, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ARREST RECORDS OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, BASED ON A REVIEW OF POLICE FILES, IS INCLUDED. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT, IN ALL BUT SEVEN CASES, PARTICIPANTS HAD FEWER ARRESTS AFTER THE PROGRAM THAN BEFORE. MOREOVER, IN ONLY ONE CASE DID THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS INCREASE AFTER PROGRAM PARTICIPATION, FROM ONE BEFORE TO TWO ARRESTS AFTER. DATA TABLES DEMONSTRATE THE DECLINE IN ARRESTS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM. OVERALL, THIS ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT THE PROGRAM WAS HAVING THE DESIRED IMPACT. (WJR)