EVALUATION OF THE CALIFORNIA PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 15345
• Author(s): L L KUEHN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 219 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Annotation

THE PROBATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM PROVIDES STATE FUNDS TO BOLSTER LOCAL PROBATION SUPERVISION SERVICES AND THUS TO REDUCE INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENTS.

Abstract

CALIFORNIA'S PROBATION SUBSIDY HAS BEEN WIDELY PROCLAIMED AS A DEVICE FOR REDUCING COMMITMENT RATES AMONG JUVENILE AND ADULT LAW VIOLATORS. SUPPORT FOR THIS VIEW COMES MAINLY FROM EVIDENCE THAT COMMITMENT RATES WERE CONSISTENTLY REDUCED FOLLOWING IMPOSITION OF THE SUBSIDY. THE PRESENT STUDY, HOWEVER, EXAMINES THIS EVIDENCE FROM SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES AND BY A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT IN A NUMBER OF CALIFORNIA COUNTIES COMMITMENT RATES HAD BEEN DECLINING BEFORE THE SUBSIDY WENT INTO EFFECT, THAT COMMITMENT TRENDS REFLECT THE INFLUENCE OF POPULATION GROWTH, CHANGES IN CRIME RATES, JUDICIAL POLICIES, AND OTHER VARIABLES NOT CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH THE SUBSIDY, AND THAT VARIOUS SOCIAL PRESSURES MAY TEND TO KEEP COMMITMENT RATES WITHIN POTENTIALLY IDENTIFIABLE UPPER AND LOWER BOUNDS. A WARRANTED CONCLUSION IS THAT THE SUBSIDY SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED THE PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR IN COMMITMENT REDUCTIONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)