NCJ Number
16683
Date Published
1974
Length
48 pages
Annotation
THE FIRST 15 MONTHS OF OPERATION OF A MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM FOR ADULT MALE MULTIPLE OFFENDERS WHO HAVE BEEN RELEASED ON PAROLE OR DISCHARGED FROM MINNESOTA CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
Abstract
DURING THIS PERIOD, ALPHA HOUSE SERVED 26 RESIDENTS, OF WHOM 21 HAD COMPLETED RESIDENCY. THEIR AGES RANGED FROM 19 TO 39 WITH A MEAN AGE OF 27.2 YEARS. AMONG THE CLIENTS 18 WERE WHITE, 5 BLACK, 2 NATIVE AMERICAN AND 1 LATIN AMERICAN. THE ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE RESIDENTS AT INTAKE WAS GENERALLY POOR, WITH 23 BEING UNEMPLOYED AND 18 BEING UNSKILLED OR SEMI-SKILLED WORKERS. IN ADDITION TO LIVING FACILITIES, THE RESIDENTS RECEIVED PERSONAL AND EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING FROM THE STAFF OF EX-OFFENDERS AND COMMUNITY SOURCES, PARTICIPATED IN A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE COUNSEL, AND TOOK PART IN VARIOUS SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS. CLIENTS MUST MAKE AN APPLICATION TO THE PROGRAM AND SIGN A CONTRACT ESTABLISHING SPECIFIC GOALS FOR THEMSELVES. PROJECT SUCCESS WAS MEASURED ON TWO DIMENSIONS - SATISFACTORY TERMINATION OF RESIDENCY AND POST-PARTICIPATION CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT. FIFTY-TWO PERCENT (11 MEN) WERE SUCCESSFUL TERMINATIONS BY COMPLETION OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT AND 47 PERCENT (10 MEN) WERE TERMINATED FOR UNSATISFACTORY REASONS. SIXTY-SIX PERCENT (14 MEN) HAD NO KNOWN LEGAL DISPOSITIONS AFTER TERMINATION OF THE PROGRAM, WHILE 7 MEN WERE INVOLVED IN SUBSEQUENT CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS. BECAUSE OF THE LOWER-THAN-EXPECTED SUCCESS RATE, THE PROJECT WAS RE-ASSESSED AND CHANGES INSTITUTED. AMONG THE ALTERATIONS WAS TO STRENGTHEN THE SCREENING PROCESS TO ADMIT ONLY MULTIPLE OFFENDERS, A DE-EMPHASIS ON EMPLOYMENT AND MORE ATTENTION TO VOCATIONAL SKILLS PREPARATION, AND A MODIFICATION OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE COUNSEL. IN OTHER RESPECTS, THE PROJECT WAS JUDGED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.