NCJ Number
145057
Date Published
1992
Length
87 pages
Annotation
In 1987, New York City implemented the PINS (People in Need of Supervision) diversion program, which seeks to provide constructive alternatives for parents and guardians who request judicial supervision of their children, diverting the children away from family court to a broad array of community services.
Abstract
Since its inception, the program has served over 17,000 families, mostly headed by a single mother who had a full- or part-time job; 85 percent of the children involved were black or Hispanic. The Office of the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety acts as the lead agency for the effort; in each borough of the city, a social service agency has been contracted to serve as a Designated Assessment Service (DAS). The DAS is responsible for assessing the needs of children and families, developing service plans, and making referrals to relevant agencies. Each of the major program components analyzed its experience during the first 5 years of operation. Their evaluations note that the program has been generally successful in reducing the number of PINS petitions in Family Court and demonstrating that families' needs can be better met through effective use of community services rather than through an adversarial judicial process. 3 appendixes