U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Prevention or Pork? A Hard-Headed Look at Youth-Oriented Anti-Crime Programs

NCJ Number
186605
Author(s)
Richard A. Mendel
Date Published
July 1995
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This document examines and evaluates youth-oriented anti-crime programs.
Abstract
The document considers whether such programs as family therapies, recreation, midnight sports leagues, and school-based conflict resolution prevent or decrease youth delinquent behavior. It also discusses whether these programs actually make a cost-effective contribution to controlling crime. Research findings include the following: (1) there is a strong foundation for identifying risk factors early in life, which enables society to address the underlying conditions that propel some youths to crime; (2) tougher law enforcement and stricter sanctions are unlikely, in the absence of effective crime prevention, to reduce crime significantly; (3) a number of youth-oriented prevention strategies have documented impressive results in reducing criminal, delinquent, and pre-delinquent behavior among young people; (4) further investments in research and evaluation of crime prevention are clearly justified; and (5) States and Federal Government need to develop and implement prevention programs aggressively, taking care to learn from experience. Notes, appendix, resources