SANTA CLARA COUNTY - DAY CARE TREATMENT CENTER FOR DELINQUENTS - FINAL EVALUATION REPORT

• NCJ Number: 17070
• Author(s): A C LAMPKIN; G G TAYLOR
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 49 pages
• Grant Number(s): 0563(OCJP)
• Sponsoring Agency: California Council on Criminal Justice
• Corporate Author: American Justice Institute
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE YOUTHS NEEDING MORE ATTENTION THAN IS AVAILABLE UNDER NORMAL PROBATION SUPERVISION WHO TRADITIONALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED IN 24-HOUR INSTITUTIONS.

Abstract

THE DAY CARE CENTER IS A LOCATION WHERE YOUNGSTERS GO DURING THE DAY FOR SCHOOL AND GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, WHILE CONTINUING TO LIVE AT HOME. JUVENILES REMAIN IN THE FORMALIZED EDUCATION AND TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS. THEN THEY GRADUATE INTO EIGHT MONTHS OF AFTERCARE. EVALUATION MEASURES INCLUDED RECIDIVISM, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT, SELF-CONCEPT, FAMILY FUNCTIONING, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS. THE CENTER WAS ALSO ASSESSED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OUT OF HOME PLACEMENT. ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-NINE YOUTHS ENROLLED SINCE THE START OF THE PROGRAM WERE COMPARED TO A GROUP OF 76 CONTROLS. GROUPS WERE SELECTED AT RANDOM FROM JUVENILES JUDGED ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROGRAM WAS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO 24-HOUR INSTITUTIONAL CARE AND SHOULD BE CONTINUED IF STEPS COULD BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE RELATIVELY HIGH RECIDIVISM RATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM.