NCJ Number
17383
Date Published
1974
Length
110 pages
Annotation
PROJECT DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE OVERALL CASELOAD AND STAFFING OF THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT OFFICE BY SETTING UP FIVE COMMUNITY PAROLE CENTERS (CPC'S) AND A DISTRICT OFFICE IN CHESTER.
Abstract
THIS PROJECT WAS EVALUATED THROUGH ONSITE VISITS AND STAFF AND CLIENT INTERVIEWS. THE EVALUATION MEASURES USED WERE IMPROVED COMMUNITY RELATIONS, STAFF PERFORMANCE, PAROLEE RELATIONS, AND RECIDIVISM. A PAROLEE PERFORMANCE FOLLOW-UP WAS CONDUCTED ON APPROXIMATELY 100 PAROLEES EACH FROM THE CPC'S, THE CHESTER DISTRICT OFFICE, AND THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT OFFICE, AND RECIDIVISM RATES FOR THE THREE GROUPS WERE COMPARED. THE CPC AND CHESTER DISTRICT OFFICE PAROLEES HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RECIDIVISM RATES THAN THOSE OF THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT OFFICE. IN ADDITION, CENTER PAROLEES INDICATED THAT THEY RELATED TO THE CENTERS IN A MORE POSITIVE MANNER AND PERCEIVED THE RELATIONSHIP AS ASSISTING THEM IN THEIR READJUSTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOCIAL REHABILITATION SERVICE (SRS) PROJECT TO DEAL WITH SPECIALIZED CASELOADS (ALCOHOL AND DRUG DEPENDENCE AND WELFARE CASES) CAUSED MORALE AND CASELOAD SUPERVISION PROBLEMS SINCE OTHER CASES ARE VIEWED AS ROUTINE AND SRS CASELOADS ARE LIMITED TO A SMALL NUMBER. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE INITIAL OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT HAD ONLY BEEN BRIEFLY ACCOMPLISHED DUE TO AN INCREASE IN REGIONAL CASELOADS. IN ADDITION, TWO IMPORTANT PROGRAM ELEMENTS - GUIDED GROUP INTERACTION AND HUMAN SERVICES AIDES - WERE BEING DE-EMPHASIZED DUE TO LIMITED FUNDING. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE INITIAL OBJECTIVE OF DECENTRALIZING THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT OFFICE CASELOAD AND STAFF BE UNDERTAKEN AGAIN AND ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE ESTABLISHEMNT OF ADDITIONAL CENTERS TO BE FUNDED AND SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNOR'S JUSTICE COMMISSION.